Burks kept asking questions then, without pausing.
“Denno, can you tell me how long you were held captive by Glost Serge?”
“Not really, between seven and ten years?”
Another lie.
“Not true, try again please.”
Denno took a deep breath and did something, relaxed his body, but also dropped into a deep memory of an earlier time, Tor didn't get it all, but the idea was clear, the man would tell the truth, but about the wrong event. Clever. Dead smart really. Most people wouldn't have that ability. After all, who had several long periods of incarceration to fall back on?
Oh, an Ancient.
It made sense.
“Twelve years?” It was a question, but this time the field didn't flicker, Burks hadn't triggered it at all.
Tor focused harder then as the Count asked questions carefully, letting most of the lies slip through, but trying to read what the man was hiding, directly from his thoughts. It was pretty clear to Tor really. Denno was held prisoner by Serge and Daria, for refusing to order hit teams in on all their enemies. For nearly a whole year.
One. Single. Year.
When it came to the larval, it had been him alone that built the army of them, not Glost Serge, not anyone else. Because he planned his own… purge? One that would remove every obstacle to his own… rule. For the entire world? It was hard to tell exactly, there were too many parts, too many undertones and shifting ideas, but that was a big part of it and he'd definitely grown the clones himself. For his own purposes. He felt threatened by someone and was responding, that was clear at least.
It was a bit of a different story to be sure.
To Tor’s amusement, the break out had been real, though half the guards actually worked directly for Denno himself, not the Premier and definitely not his daughter. A slightly smug feeling crept into the man’s thoughts as he gained skill in “fooling” the device. It was a waste of brain power and led him into thinking about even more than he would have normally. The main bit Tor grabbed was that he wasn't alone in his plan and that someone else, another of the Ancients, was in on it with him. Tor couldn't tell who, but the underlying point was solid and clear.
Well freaking heck.
By the time they finished, everyone in the room seemed far more relieved than not, even Burks who immediately clapped his brother on the back. Moving behind Denno he gave Tor a look, it wasn't mean or anything, but he got the picture. Sell the game. Make their brother believe he'd beaten the device.
Wonderful. He wanted to sigh and possibly slap the man for not being honest with them, but just in case, he had to back Burks play, didn't he?
Tor stood, walked in front of the man and knelt on the floor, bowing until his head touched the cold black stone.
“I have wronged you with my questions. I let my own paranoia and fear cause me to persecute one innocent of such. I know that I do not deserve forgiveness, but please know that I am truly sorry for having said the words or having the thoughts.” Tor stayed in place, letting just a faint sheen of tears come into his eyes.
“Oh! I… Well.” Denno suddenly stammered both pleased and a bit baffled about what to do.
“Well, of course you had questions! Who wouldn't? Please don't feel bad about it, no harm done and you have a good test that allowed me to show my friendliness. Please, if it's allowable under your ways without harm, get up little brother.” He stood and took Tor’s shoulder to help him rise. As that happen a single tear crept down his face.
It was real enough. Tor felt the betrayal sting him, prick his very heart. It was foolish, but Tor had let himself buy in to the whole “little brother” act and now it hurt to have the lie given to the daylight.
“I'm sorry.” Tor said again, giving the man a hug so that his face wouldn't give the whole thing away, he didn't let go until he had control of it, mostly at least, about a half minute later.
No one else in the room said anything, but they all bowed, showing how sorry they were for their own part in the events, though no one feeling as bad about it as Tor, at least to their eyes. Well, that was fine, Tor decided, his self-respect and honor had been sacrificed long ago anyway. If he looked the fool here, then it wasn't a big deal. Everyone had seen it before anyway, hadn't they? He felt a little bad for Ali, since as her husband, his shame or embarrassment was hers too, but she just smiled at him and moved in to hug Denno as well. It became the popular activity in the room for the next few minutes, each of the girl taking a turn except Mutta, who just gave Tor a knowing look, as if saying she understood his weak male mind had forced him to act like that. He was tempted to stick out his tongue at her but refrained, just in case he wasn't mentally damaged and what he'd done was actually near what Burks had planned.
They broke up shortly after, the King taking Denno aside for his own apology and Connie coming to hug him and say how pleased she was that everything was all right between Denno and himself.
“Such questions have to be asked. I don't want you to ever stop, but it's also important to admit errors when they happen. To see you do that so quickly, without concern for your own ego or appearance… It's humbling Tor. Even without being told, you once again have shown the best in noble society, what others only aspire to.” This was heartfelt and the tears in her eyes were real enough, proud of him, not just a show.
“Thank you. Can we… meet later?” His voice went quiet and a little shaky, probably because he was very afraid in that moment.
Not with the obvious, that the Queen would think he was propositioning her. That was exactly what she was supposed to think. God he wished it were really that instead. No, the fear was that his grandfather might want to keep what he'd found out a secret from the King and Queen. But if that was the case, his plan was about to go awry. Tor wasn't an Ancient, he was a Knight of Noram and that meant defending his land and its people, all of them, to the best of his abilities. Right this moment it meant telling the King and Queen about what had happened.
It wasn't without risks though. Burks could call him a liar or even have him killed for it, and all he had was the truth. Not that his grandfather had ever been less than open and honest with him that he'd known about, but then until mere moments before he'd really thought the same was true of Denno Brown. Deep down at least. He'd had questions, but had really wanted there to be good answers that someone like him just wouldn't know.
Worse, Denno would want to turn the world into Austra. Wasteful, ugly and oppressed, led by a madman. That right there, that the Ancient was trying to do this at the same time that his own land was being led by an insane killer, should have told him that his way wasn't the best. If nothing else you wanted your rulers to not be crazy, and hopefully to actually care about the people. Or at least be willing to fake it really well.
But which of the other Ancients would be in it with him? Burks? That… didn't seem likely at all. That an older version of himself with that much more experience might fool him, even as he read his field, well… it was possible. It didn't prove that he had and Tor didn't want to believe it, but it could have happened.
Lara Gray?
She hated men and couldn't admit it to herself, which could make her hard to deal with for Brown, who had that inconvenient manliness between his legs, but it was just possible. Especially if she thought she could turn the tables and win the world over to her way. She'd said as much to Tor once.
White?
She'd seemed so nice. More, it was clear that both the older men on their trip had been at least a little in love with her for some reason. More than was reasonable with a sister. Even an adopted one.
The rest he didn't know at all.
Black was the Tellerand Ancient, and Tor thought he was a man.
As for the rest he knew nothing. Not even which color lived where. That would really have to be learned fast. Though, honestly, it wasn't Tor’s problem, was it? If Denno wanted to rule the world, Noram would have to fight, probably against hoards of Larval. Goody. That would be a bloodbath. The Noram military couldn't be beaten by the clones, not in combat, so the assassins would simply refuse to meet them there and stick to just slaughtering people at random until everyone else gave up. If they moved in secret and just took out little villages the people wouldn't be able to resist at all, until the common person just gave up.
The idea was horrifying.
But Tor didn't have to deal with that yet. Really, even if he did, taking an explosive weapon and pointing it at
