Angulus’s eyebrows drew together. Was this the first he’d heard of the dragon? She knew her parents were proud and that her father wouldn’t whine to the king for solutions to his problems, but they should have reported a silver dragon lurking around the countryside.
“I know the MPs picked him up,” Angulus said, focusing on that first. “Lord Lockvale—” his voice held mild reproof at Rysha’s failure to use the honorific, “—has made an accusation of attempted murder and has four witnesses who came forward, willing to back up his claim. There’s a fifth that the police are trying to locate. Captain Trip needs to be held until a formal inquest can be put together and both sides can be heard. Trip will be invited to bring in character witnesses. Lord Lockvale’s witnesses will also be questioned separately to see if their stories match. They are known acquaintances of his, so that may raise a judge’s eyebrows, but at the same time, they are all from respected noble families, and none have criminal records.”
“Because it’s not a crime to bring down somebody’s property value and attempt to get their land, apparently,” Rysha said, unable to hide her frustration. She’d promised Trip that rational heads would win the day, but what if that proved wrong?
“Captain Trip, on the other hand, is—”
“An honorable man who has risked his life repeatedly to help Iskandia against pirates and dragons, and who flew across the world to destroy their portal. Sire, all he wants is to be a hero and help people. He’s not a murderer. He doesn’t like to use his power for the greater good if there’s any bit of moral ambiguity in doing so.” Rysha looked at Kaika, hoping for support.
Kaika did open her mouth, but Angulus spoke first.
“Captain Trip is now widely known to have dragon blood and be a sorcerer,” Angulus said, “which does raise questions about his character and motivations for those who believe all magic is evil.”
“But he’s up in his flier fighting dragons every chance he gets,” Rysha said. “How can—”
“I know,” Angulus said, raising his hand again. “I know we owe him our gratitude. But if I simply have him released and tell Lord Lockvale that the captain won’t be charged with any crimes, I will be seen as ignoring a judiciary system that has existed for centuries. When kings have done that in the past, there have often been political repercussions. Occasionally beheading repercussions. Though people may believe differently, I’m not a tyrant with absolute authority, nor would the country support me if I wished to be.”
“I understand that, Sire, but—”
“Just give it time, Ravenwood. If Lord Lockvale is lying, a clever military defender should be able to ferret that out.”
“I haven’t noticed that people try hard to be clever when defending witches,” a familiar male voice drawled from the hallway.
General Zirkander walked in, wearing his dress uniform with his cap in hand. Major Blazer, also in dress uniform, stepped inside after him.
“We’ll make sure to find someone who will be impartial,” Angulus said without missing a beat.
“How did you get in, sir?” Rysha whispered when Zirkander stopped next to her. She didn’t see any guards loitering in the hallway.
“Told them I needed to see the king,” he whispered back.
“And that worked?”
He winked.
No wonder Trip wanted to be a beloved national hero.
“In all honesty, Sire,” Zirkander said, the amusement dropping from his face, “I’d prefer he be defended by someone who’s partial to him. What happens if the military judge decides he’s guilty and should be hanged? That’s what this fluffed-up noble is asking for, in case you didn’t see the paper.”
“I saw it,” Angulus said, his tone cooling.
Rysha wondered if the king would correct Zirkander for the lack of an honorific. Or even a name.
“He made his complaint during the middle of the dragon attack,” Angulus said. “I was not pleased.”
“He’s the one who should be thrown in jail. For interrupting you when the city was in danger, when you were doing important things.”
“You’re interrupting me now. Unfortunately, that’s not a crime.”
“I can’t possibly be interrupting important things though.” Zirkander looked at Rysha, then at Kaika, seeming to notice her robe and slippers for the first time. “Well, I guess I could be. But really, Sire, it’s almost noon.”
Angulus issued an audible sigh and looked skyward.
“Sir,” Rysha whispered to Zirkander, “I’m not sure you’re helping.”
Major Blazer, who’d taken up a position near Rysha, grinned at her. “More people should dare tell him that.”
Should I be doing something to assist you, Storyteller? Shulina Arya had left the fidget device on a shelf and was looking back and forth between the various people in the room. I can gaze into your king’s eyes and make him more amenable to your suggestions.
Tempting, but Rysha shook her head. Just be prepared in case we need to break Trip out of jail.
Perhaps we should find this Lord Lockvale and incinerate him. Would that not solve your problem?
Rysha couldn’t keep from making a choking sound. Fortunately—or unfortunately—Angulus was too busy glaring at Zirkander to notice.
“Look, Sire,” Zirkander said, lifting his hands. “I understand that you need to appear impartial and be fair to everyone, but Trip in a cell is useless to us. Sardelle said he’s designing something to fight the dragons, some kind of…” He looked at Rysha.
“He called it a flying weapons platform. He said if he can get Dr. Targoson’s help, they can make a large structure that launches dragon-seeking rockets full of acid that can eat through their scales, and he wants to use some of the ore that the chapaharii blades are made from to make the platform impervious to magic. Physical attacks would still be a concern, but if people were stationed there around the clock and could fire the weapons…”
Rysha trailed off because Angulus was staring at her. She couldn’t tell if it was in exasperation or not.
“Is this actually a thing?” Angulus looked at Zirkander and at Kaika, too, though she only shrugged. “How long has he been working on this?”
Zirkander opened his mouth, but Rysha spoke first. “The drawings are almost complete. He said he’s ready to start construction soon.”
No need to mention that he’d started the drawings the night before.
“Did you check his math?” Angulus twitched an eyebrow toward the spot where the easel had been.
“I didn’t get time, Sire. The MPs came and took him away.”
Angulus grunted. Acknowledging that the arrest was inconvenient?
Rysha hoped so. “The main thing he needs is the tainted ore, as he calls it, and someone who can handle it without getting headaches and passing out.”
“Someone?” Angulus asked. “Just one person? To help him build a flying weapons platform?”
“He did construct a locomotive in the desert almost by himself,” Kaika said.
“What?” Blazer said. “We helped. We carried scrap metal out of the dragon’s lair for him.”
“I believe he was also going to ask Bhrava Saruth for help,” Rysha said. “He was thinking of doing it out at the dragon’s temple since no other dragons go out there, so it would be easy to make it a secret project. Perhaps Shulina Arya’s parents would consider helping too. They seem to like science and engineering. Also, they might not require Trip to worship them in exchange for their assistance.”
Angulus blinked slowly, though nobody in the room truly appeared surprised by the comment.
They would certainly not do such a thing, Shulina Arya said. Believing yourself a god is the sign of a delusional mind. All sane dragons know this.
“I’d like to learn more about this project,” Angulus said, “and would approve it going forward if it looks as promising as you’ve made it out to be.”
“Excellent, Sire.” Zirkander snapped his fingers. “We’ll
just have to get the project leader out of jail, and we can get started right away.”
Angulus gave him a flat look, but Blazer and Kaika both nodded. Even though Rysha wasn’t sure Zirkander was the best advocate—Angulus didn’t seem to adore him as much as the newspapers did—it did please her that Trip had this many people fighting for him.
“The impartiality problem we discussed still exists,” Angulus said. “You have my word that I won’t let anyone rule in favor of hanging him—not that we truly have the power to harm him, regardless—but I need it to appear that I’m not dismissing Lord Lockvale out of hand. His father may have been a drunk and a gambler, but his grandfather was one of my grandfather’s right-hand men and instrumental in keeping the peace with the Cofah in their time.”
“Can’t Trip be punished somewhere besides a jail cell in the fort?” Zirkander asked. “Oh, I know. What better punishment for a man than being forced to serve the delusional dragon who thinks he’s a god out at his temple?”
“I approve of that idea,” Kaika said.
“I like it too,” Rysha said.
Angulus still wore that flat look. Rysha couldn’t imagine Kaika falling for a man without a sense of humor, so she decided to assume that Angulus had one but that it disappeared when Zirkander walked in the room.
“Stay,” Angulus said, then walked past Zirkander and Rysha and out the office door.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke; they only looked at each other in puzzlement. Kaika didn’t seem to have any insight into where Angulus was going.
Then Shulina Arya groaned into Rysha’s mind. I will not stay.
She turned into a parrot, used her magic to open the window, and flew outside.
Rysha gaped after her. Shulina Arya?
I will return when he is done handling his bars.
“What just happened?” Major Blazer asked.
“I don’t know,” Rysha said. “I—”
Angulus walked back in, carrying an iron case. He thunked it down onto his desk, opened the lid, and stepped back so they could see inside. A plain-looking iron bar rested inside.
Rysha guessed what it was immediately, though nobody in the room would be able to sense it the way Trip did. And the way Shulina Arya had.
“You had the sudden urge to fetch a paperweight, Sire?” Zirkander asked.
“Zirkander.” Angulus sighed. “When was the last time someone told you it’s a good thing that you’re so competent at flying and shooting things because your mouth would have gotten you kicked out of the army years ago, otherwise?”
“Yesterday, Sire.”
“Consider it said today, as well.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“As soon as I got Major Blazer’s report back with information about that quarry, I had Colonel Anchor from Cougar Squadron send a team over to retrieve some of the ore. I debated on whether I needed to open trade negotiations with Rakgorath’s leaders, but as far as our intel department believes, nobody claims that part of the continent, and it was easier not to have to deal with the various city-states. The pilots took a few miners along, and they extracted the ore without incident. I have ten bars like this in an iron vault, and we can get more if necessary. My intent was to save them and perhaps see if Sardelle or Captain Trip could figure out how to make more of the chapaharii swords, but I have to admit, this talk of a weapons platform appeals far more to my modern mind than pigstickers. Or dragon stickers.”
“So Trip can start working on the structure?” Zirkander asked.
Angulus narrowed his eyes. “I want to see his blueprints first and have one of my engineers look over them. If this weapons platform seems feasible, he can get to work. We’ll work on the cover story. I’m not sure worshipping a dragon sounds enough like punishment. The newspapers better report that he’s out there under guard and scrubbing latrines with a toothbrush.”
“Do dragon temples have latrines?” Kaika asked.
“Two up front, one in the back,” Zirkander said, “for the comfort of his worshippers that travel to seek out his blessings.”
“And you know this, why?”
“I helped with the initial construction, remember.”
“I thought you just finagled the land for it from Angulus.”
“If only it had ended there.” Zirkander pointed toward the door. “Can I go get him out now, Sire? Assuming I arrive with a toothbrush in hand?”
“Yes, and don’t forget to bring the blueprints.” Angulus closed the lid on the box.
“I better go find Shulina Arya,” Rysha said. “Uhm, may I be dismissed, Sire?”
She felt odd asking for his permission to leave since she’d barged in without any permission, but that was expected.
He grunted and waved at the door.
“Actually, wait a minute, will you, Lieutenant?” Kaika crooked a finger and nodded toward the suite behind the office.
Angulus looked up. Kaika made a shooing motion at him, as if to indicate he should follow Zirkander and Blazer out.
“I’m being kicked out of my own suite?” Angulus asked.
“Just for a little while. We need to talk about woman stuff.”
Angulus mouthed the words but did not repeat them aloud.
Rysha paused before obeying Kaika’s wriggling fingers to make sure this would be allowed. Even though Kaika was her superior officer, Angulus was her superior… everything.
“Fine,” he said, heading for the door. “I’ll see if the math has been corrected yet or if my noon appointment simply fled in shame.”
19
A door clanged, the noise piercing Trip’s groggy consciousness. After he’d finished his sketches, the lack of sleep during the night had caught up with him, and he’d lain down to rest on the floor.
He sensed General Zirkander and Major Blazer as they arrived in front of his cell, and he lifted his head. Had they come to extricate him? Or just to visit? The smoke from one of Blazer’s cigars tickled his nose. Neither officer seemed stressed or concerned, so Trip took that as a good sign.
He pushed himself to his feet to salute. Then he wiped his chin, hoping he hadn’t been drooling.
“The history books and legends rarely mention sorcerers snoring,” Blazer observed.
“No, there have been many things I’ve learned from being married to a sorceress that would have otherwise remained unknown to me.”
“Can you share them?”
“I believe drooling habits are the kind of thing a husband isn’t supposed to reveal about his wife.”
“Unfortunate.”
“So, Trip.” Zirkander eyed the papers spread out over the floor. “I hear—and now see—that you’ve been doing some drawing.”
“Yes, sir.”
How much did he know about Trip’s project? Had Rysha spoken to him? Or Sardelle? She’d come in a few times during the night, and Trip had mentioned his goals.
“It’s a tradition in the fort’s jail. I believe this was the very cell I spent a night in once.” Zirkander looked toward the back wall. “Yes, I can even see the remains of the map I sketched in charcoal. Hm, you’d think someone would come through with water and a sponge once in a while.”
“You were in jail, sir?” Trip asked.
Blazer smirked, not appearing surprised at all by this revelation.
“Indeed, I was. I’ve been AWOL before too. For the good of the country, naturally.”
Blazer’s smirk deepened. “That’s not what Colonel Therrik said.”
Zirkander waved away the comment and pointed to the drawings. “Do you have something you can show the king? Something decipherable?”
“Yes, sir. The drawings are ready to be put into production. I just need to be released…” Trip spread his hand toward the locked gate.
Zirkander poked it with a finger. “Am I correct that you could have left at any time?”
“Yes, sir, but Rysha told me it would be better if I didn’t run, that I’d look guilty if I did.”
“She??
?s a smart lady.” Zirkander fished in his pocket and pulled out the key ring for the various cell locks. “You’re not free, Trip. Not until there’s an inquest and we figure out a way to prove that Lord Lockvale and his cronies were lying. But, providing Angulus approves these drawings—you need to convince him you can actually make this thing—the place where you spend your days will be shifted from this prison to Bhrava Saruth’s temple. I understand you’ve the urge to become one of his worshippers and clean his latrines.”
Trip had been nodding, but he paused at the addendum. “Latrines, sir?”
“That’s the story we’ll be circulating to the press. While you’re working on this weapons platform. Angulus has some fancy ore for you, though you’ll probably want someone who doesn’t have dragon blood to work with it, right?”
“Ideally, sir.”
“We’ll find you some people. Lieutenant Ravenwood mentioned you also wanted Tolemek. We’ll get him. If there’s anyone else you think can help make this a reality, make a list. You’ll be the project leader and get whomever you need.”
“That means he can get someone else to clean the latrines, right?” Blazer asked.
“Are you volunteering?”
“To work for Trip? No, he’s odd.”
“We all are, Major.” Zirkander patted her on the shoulder. “We all are.”
Rysha sat on the edge of a purple upholstered chair with a combination button and tuft poking her in the butt while wondering what Major Kaika had brought her into the king’s suite to discuss.
Woman stuff. That could mean anything from an injury to a reproductive organ to an unplanned pregnancy to some kind of problem with her cycle. But seven gods, why would she bring some lowly lieutenant in to discuss that? True, Rysha believed they’d bonded and gotten closer on their various missions, but Sardelle would be the more appropriate person to consult for all those things.
“I’ve been in Cofah prison cells with more comfortable furnishings.” Kaika waved at the button-tuft chair, then chose a leather lounger for herself, though she sat on the end rather than sprawling across it. “His wife chose them for aesthetic purposes. Or to torture him. I’m not sure which. Apparently, redecorating the castle is the job of the queen—it’s an age-old tradition for new queens to change everything as soon as they’re officially appointed. It would almost be worth taking the job just for that. Replace all the pink, pastel blue, and purple with some good old army green and black.” She winked.