Saithorthepyro
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Chapter 17 - Lead IV
🕑 Added 2025-02-14 16:00:11 +0000 UTCTo Samuel’s displeasure, his brother did not want to leave the religious half of our contingent in the dark, resulting in two things. First, the second carriage following shortly behind us, and second the tense atmosphere in the air between the two brothers inside ours.
Despite picking up Samuel, the cramped seating from before had opened up. Melissa had left at my urging, probably on her way back to the Black Flame where maybe information on what was occurring would forestall any punishment for going against Versalicci’s orders. Gregory had been practically ordered to join the two bishops and Forcreek in their carriage, where he likely was getting a private tongue-lashing for revealing the Diabolism program’s existence. And Tagashin?
Tagashin had apparently convinced Voltar to let her drive.
For the first three minutes, I’d been terrified of the sure-to-come carriage accident that would doom us all. With the furry harbinger of chaos holding the reins, it was sure to happen.
Instead, it happened, although thus far we’d barely avoided collisions with two carts, one carriage, two ogres who had swore at us, one who had managed to rip a lamp off the corner, and one automaton whose inventor had started screaming about us ruining it’s ‘pathing protocol’ as it stomped errantly towards a crowd of screaming onlookers.
We hadn’t crashed yet, which to Tagashin was probably the important part.
It was at least something to pay attention to instead of trading uneasy glances with Dawes while Samuel stared daggers at an unfazed Voltar.
“Brother,” Samuel finally said, voice icy. “You do realize this is why I don’t normally involve myself with your activities? And that this, this is why normally only Christianson even bothers?”
“I rather thought it was because Christianson enjoys making me suffer,” Voltar replied. “After all, he’s so gleeful about making me endure these trips to strange foreign lands, practically guaranteed to get me into trouble.”
"The point being when a member of Intelligence tells you to do something, Edmund, consider your options and their consequences before deciding to do the exact opposite of them.”
“I did,” Voltar said, with a long-suffering roll of the eyes. “And you are aware of the reasons why you did it, you’re just blustering because you dislike Bishop Derrick. I am not jeopardizing a fragile partnership with a group that is helping our investigation. It’s not like this latest killing will be kept under wraps for long, so they’d be offended the moment they found out. Something only hastened by the fact we’d be leaving the current crime scene in a hurry following your directions.”
Samuel’s expression was only growing harder and angrier with each word out of his brother’s mouth, and I decided to try and defuse it before he burst.
“Why do you have an issue with Bishop Derrick?” I asked, and refused to wilt as that furious gaze swung my way. “Honestly, between the two of them, she’s rather personable compared to the other one. Hells, even if you remove the low bar that is Bishop Gallaspie, she seems rather alright.”
“Personality has nothing to do with it,” Samuel said in a short, clipped tone. “Interfering in Imperial Intelligence business does.”
“Intelligence was going after a lich,” Voltar told me. “Derrick got to her first and ended her. Honestly, brother, it’s not like that was the worst outcome. The lich is no longer a threat, isn’t she?”
“Her books aren’t,” Samuel replied. “Disappeared, along with all her paraphernalia and equipment.”
“It’s the sacred duty of Zaviel’s priests to keep any way to raise the dead, or live as the undead, away from all,” Dawes said quietly but firmly.
Samuel didn’t seem to pay the rebuke any mind. “Outside of Derrick interfering with Intelligence before now, no one is particularly keen on giving these priests any allowance. They know Her Majesty’s stance on Diabolism, and chose to violate it anyway.”
“So did I,” I pointed out. “You ended up recruiting me, so why not the same with them?”
Samuel gave me a pointedly annoyed look. There was a clean, simple difference that informed all of that, which was my recruiting was less a matter of choice and more a case of join or fall victim to the law’s regarding diabolism. Which meant a noose, an axe, a silver spike, or that fancy falling-blade device they’d started importing from overseas.
Diabolists who belonged to important organizations willing to shield them and make it difficult to force them into a similar situation? Such as religions? I could see Intelligence’s frustration in dealing with Diabolists they couldn’t coerce.
“Well brother, surely if we don’t need their help, this must mean Intelligence has the matter well in hand?” Voltar asked, and the glare once again swung back towards him.
“Intelligence is busy trying to keep this from reaching the attention of the general populace,” Samuel said. “With the shape-changer incident having then pretending to be the Black Flame and the marches in the Quarter ending the way we did, the last thing we want is even more unrest among or aimed at the Quarter.”
Almost touching, if I wasn’t sure that it was more about riots damaging things Her Majesty’s government actually cared about. Or worse, draining her recruitment pool.
“We did assign agents to watch those priests who entered Father Reginald’s church yesterday. I found the corpse of the one assigned to watch Starken underneath the pier, cut from sternum to throat.”
“Not diabolism?” Voltar asked.
“Probably worried about his target noticing,” I said. “There are ways to detect diabolism, or just magic in general, that don’t work on stabbing or cutting up your victim.”
In some ways the simple knife remained the best tool if you wanted to kill without being noticed.
“That or someone else was responsible,” Voltar said. “I’m more worried about the fact they apparently got the drop on one of your people Samuel.”
“Not everyone is perfect, Edmund,” he replied. “But it is noted. It was a newer watcher, but even still, at least some level of skill involved.”
“Supports the idea of multiple attackers more than anything else,” I admitted. “The attack on Starken was sloppy. With multiple blows to take her down, Starken could have fought back. Yet didn’t, even with magic. Our killer got lucky.”
An accomplice more talented than their partner? Certainly possible, with one being the string holder of a diabolist puppet. A very dangerous puppet to pull the strings on though.
“Another thing,” Samuel told me. “We can’t discount the possibility that it isn’t a member of this unified religion diabolism program doing these murders. Which means the possibility that it was someone employed or contracted by Intelligence.”
“That can’t be a long suspect list,” I pointed out.
“It’s not,” he admitted. “Two dozen, which will get whittled down further as we toss out those physically incapable of being there. Starting with you, who was asleep well before, during, and far after the murder took place. Your need to get beauty sleep has well and truly exonerated you.”
I stared blankly at him. He’d just admitted that they were watching my every move, but all of what had occurred these last few days had been allowed? The most charitable answer was that those capable of watching weren’t necessarily capable of intervening. The uncharitable one was that with two dozen other Diabolists, keeping me alive wasn’t worth risking anyone else.
“So,” I said slowly. “You want us to look into those you can’t prove didn’t commit the murders.”
“Yes, but not just that,” Samuel admitted. “This should have been handled from the start, but there were arguments we should wait for this step. See what we have in you before we make any kind of investment.”
“I imagine this is more a situation of your hand being forced than you finding out?”
A reluctant nod from him. “We want you to engage in training under another Diabolist we know couldn’t have committed the murders.”
“Hrrm,” I said, grinning. “Tell me more!”
Traitor! The Imp yelled, finally breaking its silence after gloating about the other devil. Do not be swayed by false promises from gluttonous tempters who have surely gained their weight by tricking their rivals!
“Not a practice done on this plane,” Samuel said, then with a slight twitch of his mustache he continued. “Also. I am not that large.”
“Ignore it,” I said, tapping the side of my head. “They’re just upset that you’ve offered this after a round of rather nasty behavior from it in recent days.”
I helped you discover the Diabolist’s lair in Glee Street, The Imp growled. I have been more helpful than you wish to credit me.
“You also didn’t warn me there was a devil lurking in the most recent victim’s corpse, which is more harmful than that,” I countered, then decided to just give up. Arguing with the Imp was just a distraction from more important matters. “What’s this diabolist’s name?”
“Her name is Alberta Vesper,” Samuel told me. “Older lady has been doing careful research for the crown for decades, and has managed it without a single incident.”
The implied rebuke about the number of incidents I’d collected I let go.
“She’d be willing to train me?”
“She’s willing to do many things to ensure the flow of imperial coinage for her research continues,” Samuel replied.
So a reluctant teacher, but that was something I could work with. “And I’d be going there just to learn?”
Samuel hesitated slightly. “There are some concerns. If there is anyone with capabilities we are unaware of it, it’s her.”
“So my training comes with the catch of being tossed to a potential killer, there to make sure on your behalf she can’t say, be in two places at once?” I asked.
“Hardly an imposition,” Samuel said. “If anything, we are all very confident in your ability to get out of tight jams with ease.”
Voltar had a serene, calm expression on his face like he had for the entire carriage ride, and Doctor Dawes was more worried than confident, but I let it pass. It wasn’t a dealbreaker even if she was the killer.
The agent intends to feed you to wolves child The Imp wailed. Trust in my own short-sightedness if nothing else to keep me honest! I am a creature of gluttony, completely trustworthy as long as you account for my nature!
“Hrrm. An interesting decision you’ve dumped in my lap,” I said. “The passenger in my head is very upset over it being considered, which is a definite point in its favor. Mr. Voltar, Doctor Dawes, any thoughts?”
I’ll twist your guts so much eating a bite will cause you to burn from throat to ass! Said Passenger shrieked. I ignored it. Bad behavior earned it in return.
Voltar raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you’d take any I have under consideration.”
Doctor Dawes smiles apologetically. “I know what my advice would be, and I don’t think it would be popular with anyone in here, so I’ll keep my tongue to myself.”
“Ditch the diabolism girl!” Tagashin yelled from up on top of the carriage.
Please let that not have started a panic. Also, she was one to talk, fey being full of magic that she was.
“I think it might be best to search out an alternate teacher regardless of any ulterior motives,” Voltar said. “Trusting that thing inside your head seems a poor choice to make them for you seem a poor move.”
Do not betray me! The Imp shrieked. I erred on not immediately informing you of the other devil, but that’s no reason to throw yourself on the charity of that greedy buerecrat!
Not entirely wrong there, I hardly trusted this sudden offer of a trainer much more than the Imp. But the Imp was a known quantity, and it’s own lack of foresight was a drawback I could use to deal with it. A trainer belonging to Intelligence? That was being drawn further into their orbit, something I also didn’t like.
Using the two to counterbalance each other was an option though. One that was increasingly appealing.
“I’ll be happy to accept your offer,” I told Samuel, ignoring the shriek in my head from the Imp. “I’m assuming we’ll meet sometime after all this?”
“You can meet today,” he informed me. “I’ll make sure you receive the address. Three this afternoon should do unless you have a prior appointment?”
I did, but not one that should last that long. Naturally, or if me and Uncle Liu drove each other to storm off once again.
Voltar coughed politely. “Not to interrupt this, but we do have a more pressing matter. A murder. Brother, is there a reason we’re heading to what’s left of the Central Dwarven gate?”
I’d been so caught up in the possibility of having leverage over the Imp, I’d nearly forgotten about it as well. I looked outside and yeah, we were nearly upon it.
Once the entrance to a Dwarven fortress bordering Avernon, it had swiftly been consumed by the rapidly growing city and had instead become the main route of trade and diplomacy into the dwarven kingdoms below. It stood proud and defiant, even in recent years a giant among the buildings around it, a solid bastion carved from rock, silver statues of ancient dwarven kings lining its walls. It had stood for millenia, a fortress none had conquered, the only ways in besides the massive, mechanism-powered stone gates were the numerous arrows slits along its surface.
Even now, years after cannons had ripped the, it still stood. But the ancient gates had been forced open, the pathway to the underground forcibly converted to a highway. The ancient statues of dwarven royalty had lone been melted down into more funds for Her Majesty’s government, the only statue one of Her Majesty above the gates. What was once a proclamation of the Dwarves strength was now a monument to their fall.
We made our way through the traffic heading above and below. It had tapered off once the campaigns had ended, and the vast mineral wealth that was to be won with it had gone up in smoke. Now all that went down was enough that the Delver’s could keep the monsters from making their way surface side, and a few expeditions still searching for that silver and gold.
“The victim is a dwarf,” Samuel said. “Stonemaker Malata Oedeur, in service to the deity Zavan.”
My ears perked up. “Probably the same one that was among those who burst in on us,” I said to Voltar. “Can’t imagine there’s any more priests on the surface in service to Zavan then there are to Savareth.”
Savareth might not be the most popular of deities, but she had the advantage of not being a transplant from a race the empire had just been at war with. Or a race who had mostly migrated underground to far away from Anglea.
“The very same,” Samuel said. “They didn’t disproved my watcher, although she didn’t have the ability to take on a dozen Infernal Diabolists. She did manage to injure one, and their victim has ended one and probably injured another. An attempt to track the group did not work out. I’m not sure what they did to my agent, but I’m told she’ll eventually be able to see again.”
I could imagine a dozen ways Diabolism could inflict blindness, none of them in any way pleasant.
“She did get a good look at one of them who had bared a decent amount of skin,” Samuel continued, poking directly at me. “Miss Harrow, why are Versalicci and the Black Flame involved in all of this?”
I briefly thought on what to say. Couldn’t reveal too much about Melissa, couldn’t reveal too little that Voltar would want to expand on it. I had the feeling his desire to solve the case would extend beyond just making sure the Bishops were kept in the loop at least a little to keeping his brother informed to a similar extent.
“My only defense for not informing you of this is that I only found it out recently myself,” I said, quickly sketching out the events of last night, just leaving a few key details out such as anything hinting at Melissa potentially being my half-sister. The deal unfortunately had to be said, but I doubted Intelligence would be after that. Hells, if any of their diabolists were particularly loyal, one of them would have mentioned it by now.
Samuel was stone-faced by the end, not a hint if he believed me or not by the end. Our carriage had come to a halt as well.
“I suppose this answers why a band of Infernal Diabolist have suddenly joined in on the murder spree, although why priests eludes me.”
“Devils make the terms of their deals arcane for a reason,” I said. “Sometimes it’s to hide their true goal behind layers of obfuscation. Sometimes it’s to mess with mortals. Sometimes it's to test and see if the mortal is worthy of further deals.”
“Also religions are their natural enemies,” Doctor Dawes noted. “Errm, well Halspus especially but no following of one of the Pantheon wants to see Devils roaming the earth again.”
“I remain unconvinced that this is our killer’s motive,” Voltar admitted. “This patch of ambitious fools in Versalicci’s employ perhaps, but not our main killer.”
“Please tell me you aren’t romanticizing them,” I said drily, earning a snort from the detective.
“Hardly, but I do think there is more to them than a deal with a devil. Besides, all sense of romance left me at an early age. Isn’t that right Samuel.”
Samuel Voltar had vanished, and I gave his seat an unimpressed look.
“That tricks more surprising when you don’t have to constantly deal with a kitsune,” I told it.
Voltar chuckled a little. “He’s likely gone, and even if he had gone invisible, he’s not anywhere near as tauntable as Tagashin.”
“I can hear you!” said kitsune yelled from atop the carriage, and the entire vehicle shuddered.
The Empire’s Greatest Detective nearly took a fall to the floor from that. I got out as quickly as I could, not wanting to be collateral damage if those two egos decided to start trading punches.
Why couldn’t more people just be humble like me and Dr. Dawes?
