Gifted Hunter

  "If you're not careful," came Sallis's dry reply, "the only dangling will be coming from you."

  Kein's blue eyes narrowed. "Think you're a proper comedian don't you? Boy."

  "Well," said Sallis, abruptly straightening, "you obviously need more time to think. Time to move on."

  ***

  "He won't share," said Oston, leaning closer to Sallis to stop his words reaching Kein.

  "He wants to live," replied Sallis. "He'll share."

  "Why should you care? Either way, you get your reward."

  "It's not just about reward," retorted Sallis. "You can use any bounty hunter if you're only interested in doling out rewards. I thought you people were about justice."

  Oston grinned. "Crallin's the moral man," he countered. "I'm about wages and putting food on my table."

  "And I'm about justice," insisted Sallis. "I won't see an innocent man hang."

  Oston nodded, face expressionless. "How noble of you. But what if he is the killer?"

  "Jarron was killed by a stab to the chest," said Sallis. He jerked a thumb towards the prisoner. "He had no weapons when we took him and there was no weapon at the scene."

  Oston shrugged. "He could have dumped it anywhere."

  "Indeed. He might have picked it up anywhere, or stolen it from anywhere and then returned it."

  Oston's gaze searched Sallis's face. "You know something," he said, eventually. "And you're not sharing."

  Sallis now shrugged. "I suspect something, and I think Olista will give me the answer when I return."

  "I still think Kein did it."

  "I didn't do it," said Kein, from immediately behind them.

  Sallis and Oston turned in their saddles.

  "Are you ready to talk now?" asked Sallis.

  "Yes, but I don't think you'll believe me," replied Kein.

  Sallis smiled. "Try me."

  ***

  Chapter 15 - A Question Of Justice

  "Do you believe him now?" asked Sallis.

  They had stopped to eat and rest the horses. Slowly at first, but with growing confidence, Kein shared what he had seen at Senator Jarron's villa. Oston tried to interrupt more than once, but Sallis shushed him, listening with eyes half-closed as Kein gave his version of events.

  Oston fidgeted, but listened quietly until Kein finally fell silent.

  "You'll have to try harder than that," Oston had said. "Much, much harder."

  "Tell me how you got into the buildings you robbed," said Sallis.

  Both the other men had stared at the younger with surprise. Neither had expected such a question.

  "What's that got to do with anything?" demanded Oston.

  Sallis shrugged. "Just tell me."

  So Kein told. He climbed through open windows. He smashed door panels and slipped the bolts from within. Some people were careless and left their doors unlocked. Sometimes a door or window was left open around the back. Other times he used wood to force a door or window.

  Sallis listened and nodded.

  "How many locks did you pick?"

  "Pick?" asked Kein. "None. I always forced my way in and if folk had valuables locked away, they always left the key somewhere foolish, or believed that iron bars not fixed into the ground and ceiling properly would stop me."

  When they rode on, Sallis wore a satisfied smile. He turned to Oston. "You haven't answered my question."

  "Do I believe him?" Oston shrugged and shook his head. "What game are you playing? He gave you a bucketful of air."

  "I play no games," insisted Sallis. "I know he's not the killer. Put it another way, if he is the killer, then the Gift has failed me for the first time ever. When I touched the murder weapon, it didn't throw a trail to Kein."

  "What murder weapon? You're as insane as he is if you expect me to be -" Oston's voice broke off. "You mean the blades you touched at Jarron's place?"

  "One of them, yes." Sallis smiled. "That trail led me straight to the killer."

  "How are you going to prove it?"

  Sallis shrugged. "I'll think of something," he promised.

  ***

  Quick thinking and accurate work with a sling from Oston brought down a hare, though once they roasted it, little remained for three hungry men. They also finished the yellow cheese Sallis had brought with him.

  After eating, Oston secured Kein and returned a few moments later.

  "He's still not happy about being tied up for the night," said Oston, groaning as he sat down again.

  "He'll only run otherwise," said Sallis. He eyed Oston as he tried and failed to make himself comfortable. "Saddle sore again?"

  Oston grunted. "I've not ridden a long distance for some time. Not ridden much at all, I must admit. But I'm not as bad as I was."

  Sallis nodded. "My rear felt harder than the saddle when I arrived in Marka," he replied.

  "Thought you walked funny when I first saw you," grinned Oston. "But there's something I'd like to know."

  Sallis waited.

  "How will you prove his innocence?"

  "Not bothered about the thefts any more?" Sallis raised an eyebrow.

  "Of course. But murder is more serious."

  "A greater affront to civilization certainly." Sallis sighed. "I cannot say until I've seen all the evidence. I'm not wrong, but the courts will need more than that."

  "They will." Oston jerked a thumb in Kein's general direction. "But it might be better to let him take the blame and swing for it. It's one thief we won't have to deal with again."

  "You might have to deal with the murderer again though. Some people get a taste for it, after their first."

  "You seem to know a lot about it."

  Sallis shrugged. "People are people," he replied. "Some are good, some are bad and most are just indifferent. In our line, we deal with the bad ones."

  "Not very many are murderers," pointed out Oston.

  "All the more reason not to treat them all as if they were."

  Oston's eyes narrowed. "All you had in the first place is a hunch?"

  "I have what my own eyes have seen and whatever the Gift tells me. I know which blade was used to kill Jarron. I know that nobody who knows how to use a blade would have stabbed him the way he was. I know Kein did not pick the lock to get a weapon from Jarron's armory." Sallis snorted. "Kein was unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

  "You're just trying to prove your name." Oston's voice was quiet.

  "Anything wrong with that? I intend to be the best. Not good and not excellent, but the best. Whenever the Guard needs someone bringing in they cannot reach themselves, I want them to think Sallis ti Ath before any other name. Is that bad of me?"

  Oston waited.

  Sallis continued. "But I'm also about justice. I won't just pull anybody in. For one thing, I know Markan justice doesn't work that way."

  "You might be surprised," murmured Oston.

  "Disappointed, you mean," countered Sallis. "If the Guard is prepared to let innocents swing for crimes they did not commit, then I suppose I'd be very disappointed."

  "Kein is hardly innocent."

  "Kein is a thief, not a murderer!"

  "Would you care to shout any louder?" asked Oston, dryly. "I don't think they heard you in Marka."

  "I heard though." Kein's voice came out of the darkness.

  "Go back to sleep," Oston threw over his shoulder.

  "You should let me go, Sallis ti Ath," said Kein, ignoring Oston. "Your companion wants to see me dead. Perhaps he will wait for you to sleep before slitting my throat."

  "You are a prisoner!" roared Oston. "I would do no such thing!"

  "You don't like to be thought of as a killer, as a murderer?" Kein's voice sounded tight with strain.

  "He's trying to escape," whispered Sallis, clutching the small piece of cloth that had belonged to the prisoner. "You stay here and keep him talking." He rolled away from the fire until cloaked in night, and aimed directly for the voice.

  "I don't murder pr
isoners," protested Oston.

  "Well, now you know how it feels to be accused of something you've not done. You -" Kein's voice broke off.

  "I do hope this isn't an escape attempt," said Sallis, peaceably, his sword resting against Kein's neck. "Oston! Our guest needs re-securing. Please use tighter knots and more rope this time."

  Oston joined them. "My pleasure."

  "And I believe Master Kein might be getting cold. He can sleep between us at the fire," continued Sallis. He eyed Kein. "Don't try to run again, or I might doubt what the Gift is telling me."

  "I've got no chance," muttered Kein. "When we get to Marka, people like him will make sure I die." He nodded at Oston. "They will make that murder charge stick."

  "You have got a chance," replied Sallis. "You've got me."

  "My confidence tankard just overflowed," retorted Kein, sarcastically.

  Oston laughed.

  Even Sallis raised a smile. "Settle down and go to sleep," he commanded. "You'll need that sharp wit when we reach Marka."

  ***

  Chapter 16 - Meeting With Olista

  The moment Sallis and Oston entered Marka with their prisoner, activity erupted at the gate. Guardsmen promptly arrested Kein and hustled him inside the guardhouse to be charged with murder and theft.

  The Guard Officer of the Day was summoned (Sallis realized with a silent groan that this was Lieutenant Vayburn), and messengers sent to the Captain of the Guard and to Senator Olista.

  Crallin poked his head into the guardhouse and his blue eyes lit up when he saw Sallis.

  "Senator wanted to see you an hour gone, farm boy," he said. "In his office."

  "Olista?" asked Sallis.

  "That's the only Senator who matters to us," replied Crallin. He looked at Oston. "Was he any trouble?"

  Oston shrugged, but said nothing.

  Waiting till I'm gone, reflected Sallis. Well, I'm going now. He rose to his feet. "Look after Glyder for me?" he asked Oston.

  "Sure thing."

  Sallis walked along the main thoroughfare and drank in the sounds, sights and smells of Marka. Gone for only four days, but the pleasure he felt made him realize this was home now. Re Annan could never again hold him, no matter how deep his desire to ensure his parents were looked after. Four sylphs should be sufficient to help run the farm.

  He swerved to avoid a couple of sylph beggars squabbling over a scrap of food and shook his head. Something should be done about these beggars. Sylphs should be serving, not begging. There were no beggars, sylph or human, on Re Annan. Seeing male sylphs among the beggars, Sallis tried to remember if Calcan also had a community of beggars.

  Entering Senate Square, he looked at the Coronation Building and the empty warehouse opposite. Ignoring more beggars crying for alms, Sallis crossed the square and mounted the steps.

  "Can I help you, sir?"

  Despite the courtesy, Sallis knew the man had no intention of letting him pass. Sallis had not bathed and changed, so he must look a right mess.

  "Senator Olista wants to see me," he replied. "I'm Sallis ti Ath. I know the way."

  Sallis waited on the steps while a messenger went inside, but the boy returned with an order to show the visitor to Olista's office.

  "In you go, sir. The boy will show you."

  The messenger ignored the guard and ushered Sallis within. The entrance hall was exactly as he remembered from his last visit, but he had no chance to stop and admire it.

  "This way," said the boy, without even a hint of a "sir".

  A young woman Sallis had met before stood at the door.

  "Have you got an appointment?" she asked.

  "Show him in, Melda." Olista's familiar voice boomed from inside the office. "I asked him here."

  A small smile touched the woman's lips as she eyed Sallis up and down. "He should have allowed you to bathe first, young man."

  Sallis inclined his head. "What I have to say is important, mistress. Baths must wait."

  "Come on in, my boy." Olista smiled. He half-turned and clapped his hands sharply together. "Vidkin!"

  A sylph shot to her feet.

  "Alovak if you please."

  "Se bata." The sylph stretched.

  "Yours?" asked Sallis, watching the infertile as she padded out of the room.

  Olista looked surprised. "Father's breath, no. My sylphs all stay at home. She belongs to Melda. Right, you've brought in our man?"

  Sallis nodded. "He's nice and comfy in the guardhouse right now."

  "Charged with theft and murder?"

  "He is."

  Olista wagged a finger. "You'd better be right about the murder," he warned. "How you're going to clear him of that charge is beyond me. Remember, I am an ambitious politician; I've ensured that, if you're wrong, you're on your own."

  "I'm not wrong," smiled Sallis. "Did you see Lieutenant Vayburn?"

  "Yes. You were right about that, young man. I have it here, somewhere."

  Sallis lifted his hands. "Not yet. Better you never show it to me, not until we have plenty of witnesses, and you can say I've never before seen it."

  "I also inquired about Pusila's family." Olista pursed his lips. "They are not particularly active in local politics, but neither did they favor Jarron's plans. We will talk more after that sylph returns with our alovak."

  "Are Pusila's sylphs still sleeping in the stable?" asked Sallis.

  "No idea," replied Olista, "but I can find out for you. Why do you want to know?"

  Sallis ignored the question. "How long before the trial?" he asked.

  "In a hurry for your money?" Olista's voice was quiet, but his dark blue eyes twinkled.

  "Not exactly."

  "We tend not to delay proceedings in this city. A court of inquiry should be convened in a day or so."

  "A day." Sallis's voice was flat.

  "Just to see if there is a case to answer," said Olista. "We already know the answer, but the legal niceties must be observed."

  "We should see all the players today," said Sallis. "Kein, Pusila, Vayburn, Dowl, yourself, me."

  "Dowl?"

  "The assistant priest who helped lay out Senator Jarron."

  Olista nodded. "All right. Kein is the prisoner? Why him?"

  "He saw more than everybody realizes."

  "You seem certain."

  "Very." Sallis smiled. "When you arrange to have Pusila brought here, send witnesses and bring the sword-rack with you."

  Olista frowned. "You had better be right," he warned. "This meeting is best held at my villa, rather than here. Don't worry, there will still be a court of inquiry and a trial."

  Sallis nodded. "Good. I'm not trying to circumvent justice, but it's time we wrapped this up."

  "You are eager for your money," said Olista. "You can have an advance if you wish. Repayable of course, should you be wrong."

  "When the thief is found guilty and not before." Sallis smiled back. "I meant what I said when I said it. I still mean it now."

  "Why do you want Vayburn dragged into this?"

  "He lied to me and I want to know why."

  Olista nodded. "All right, I'll arrange for him to be present as well. But Kein stays in his cell. If it's necessary to call him, I'll send a messenger." He paused. "You've done well. Very well." A frown replaced his smile. "Now where's that damned sylph got to with our alovak?"

  ***

  Chapter 17 - Revelations

  Olista's study had impressed Sallis with its size when he first arrived at the Senator's villa, but it soon looked cramped as more people gathered. A male sylph, padding silently through the house, showed the visitors to the room without saying a single word. Used to taciturn sylphs, Sallis followed his guide and "Thank you" were his only words to the creature.

  A pair of infertile sylphs served alovak and immediately withdrew. A Guardsman unknown to Sallis took station outside the study door, and they were ready to begin.

  Olista sat in his chair, with Melda next to him, ready to take notes.
Sallis sat beside Olista's desk, with Priest Dowl at the far side. Lieutenant Vayburn and a dark-haired man Sallis had never seen before flanked Senator Jarron's widow. The extra gold knot of rank on the stranger's uniform suggested this was Elleyn, Captain of the Guard.

  Against the wall opposite Olista's desk stood the sword-rack from Jarron's villa, the swords and long daggers all in place. Pusila eyed the rack warily, while Sallis watched her.

  "Right," said Olista, straightening abruptly and moving his chair closer to the desk. "Is everybody comfortable?"

  "Why are we here, Olista?" complained Pusila. "The court meets tomorrow, we will hear everything then."

  "Because I want to hear a theory," replied Olista, pointing in Sallis's direction. "In full."

  "You have your thief, and I will see justice for my husband," continued Pusila.

  "That is why we're all here," said Olista.

  "Do you usually invite everybody concerned to your villa before a trial?" Pusila sniffed in disapproval. "This is nonsense. And why are Jarron's blades here?"

  "We will come to that in due course," answered Olista, who had no other reply. His dark blue eyes rested on Sallis ti Ath. "You have the floor, young man."

  Sallis cleared his throat, surprised that his nerves chose now to start worrying him. Doubts assailed him. If he had anything wrong, he would suffer.

  He firmed himself; he was not wrong.

  "The Senate commissioned me to find the thief who'd been troubling this city for some time. Twelve thefts and, allegedly, one murder."

  "Allegedly?" spluttered Pusila.

  "Please, let us hear the boy out." Olista glared at her.

  "All of you have probably heard that I'm Gifted. Some of you accept that and I expect the rest of you refuse to believe it, but Sandev can corroborate my claim. Once I've touched something belonging to a criminal, I can follow that criminal anywhere in the world, no matter how long it takes."

  Pusila snorted.

  "I am happy to demonstrate this talent," continued Sallis, peaceably. "Any people you choose can arrange it, should you wish."

  Silence met that.

  "When I visited Senator Jarron's villa, everything had been cleaned up. I got no hint about our thief until he left a piece of his cloak behind on a window hook at Senator Mermack's villa."

  "And that ultimately led you to him?" asked Captain Elleyn.

  "Straight to him. No matter how far or long he had run."

  "Interesting." Elleyn stroked an ear lobe.

  "Can we continue with the matter at hand?" Olista looked mildly irritated. "We're here to listen to your theory, not to you touting yourself for extra work."

  Sallis inclined his head and grinned quickly. "At Senator Jarron's, I found a trail when I touched the murder weapon."