Where are we?”
“This is the invaliddarium of the Riverdock Parish vigilry, freeman.”
“Knight Whatsisdick’s place? Is that a good idea?”
Markham’s lips thinned. “Khryl’s Love has Healed your wounds-”
“Yeah, I noticed. Get all the slugs?”
“The single pellet still in your body was successfully extracted, freeman. And your ribs have been renewed through Khryl’s Love.”
“Thanks for taking care of it while I was out. Khryl’s Love, I recall, feels a lot like having a handful of red-hot barbwire shoved up my ass.”
The Lord Righteous didn’t seem to hear. “Your clothing is being laundered and will be repaired, should you wish; otherwise, it will be destroyed for rags, and we will replace it without cost to you.”
“You do this for everybody you beat the shit out of?”
His eyes were the color of his armor. “Only the innocent.”
“So that means mostly yes, huh?”
Those lips thinned more. “Freeman Shade-”
“Y’know, I’m liking the sound of that more and more. Freeman. Free man. Because that’s, y’know, what I am, right? By right of-what do you call it in Lipkan?
“Yes.”
“Then keep my fucking clothes. I’m out of here.”
“Your other wounds, freeman-”
“I feel great.”
“Khryl’s Love treats only wounds taken in battle. There may be internal injuries-”
“From what?”
“From the-” Markham’s lips went even thinner. “From Knight Aeddharr’s inappropriate, unlawful, and despicable abuse of your person, freeman.”
I found myself smiling. “Now,
Those lips disappeared altogether. “You are owed an apology on behalf of the Order of Khryl, the Civility of the Battleground, the Riverdock Parish, and Tyrkilld, Knight Aeddharr.”
“Fucking right.”
“Knight Aeddharr is unable to proffer formal apologies at this time-”
“What, did I kill him?” My sigh would have been more convincing without the grin. “Shit, in the old days Knights were tough.”
“He lives.” Markham’s face was stiff as his cuirass. A subtle flick of his finger directed my gaze toward another door. “Your use of the armsman’s weapon destroyed a section of his thighbone, which must be reconstructed if he is to walk properly again-”
“So all he gets out of this is a limp? My heart’s pumping pisswater for him.”
Markham’s amazing vanishing lips took with them all the color from his cheekbones and around his eyes. “Should you wish to make another attempt upon his life, Knight Aeddharr has assured me that he will place himself at your convenience as soon as Khryl’s Love completes his Healing.”
“Huh. Easy to be brave when you’ve got Khryl to kiss away your boo-boos.”
Muscle rippled along the Lord Righteous’s jaw. “The apology, freeman-”
“What about that poor bastard armsman? Khryl’s Love won’t do much for what’s left of his spinal cord.”
“Armsman Braehew,” he ground out around his locked-down jaw, “perished of his wounds.”
I stared at the Lord Righteous. The Lord Righteous stared back. Neither of us blinked.
“Braehew.” Another name on a damn long list. “Braehew.” Hadn’t meant to kill him. Didn’t even know him. Didn’t matter. Wrong place, wrong time, with a shotgun aimed at the wrong guy’s balls. End of story.
I have a lot of those stories crowding the back of my head. “What, all the Knights around there had something better to do?”
“The armsman refused Healing.”
“He what?”
“Armsman Braehew is survived by a wife and two young daughters. As you said: Khryl’s Love would save only his life. He would have required specialized care for the remainder of his days. The pension from the Order will be better spent providing for the comfort of his family than for the care of a cripple.”
I carry a scar just below my navel that matches one in the small of my back. I also carry a device implanted along my spine near that scar. That device-along with some specialized powers of concentration, and a bit of magick, that have become habit over the past three years-is the main reason I can now walk. For some years I had done without it; for some years it had worked only intermittently, if at all.
I said, “That’s fucked.”
Markham sat at attention, as though the Justiciar himself was in the room.
“He died with honor. You would not understand.”
“Does his
“It is not our way to burden a Soldier’s loved ones with such decisions.”
“And I bet right now they’re crying tears of gratitude for your thoughtfulness and consideration.”
“I suspect,” Markham said, “that they weep only with pride that Armsman Braehew fell in battle, as all Khryllians fondly hope.”
“Yeah, all right. Whatever.” I looked around for my boots. “Are we done here?”
“There is still the matter of the apology, freeman.”
“I’m not much for forgiveness. Let me out of here. I gotta line up a place to sleep.”
“Lodgings have been secured for you at the Pratt amp; Redhorn; it is a small hostelry in this parish.”
“Maybe I want to stay somewhere else.”
“You will stay in the Pratt amp; Redhorn.”
“Will I?”
“To disobey the lawful order of a Knight of Khryl is a serious offense; it is an offense to Khryl Himself. Am I entirely understood, freeman?”
“Better than you want to be, maybe. Where the fuck are my boots?”
“Freeman, please.” Markham looked actively pained. “If we might beg your further indulgence on this one small matter.”
“We?”
“I and the Champion.”
“You and the Champion?” I shrugged. “What exactly is it you want me to indulge?”
“Since Knight Aeddharr is. . indisposed, the Order of Khryl, the Justiciar, and the Civility of the Battleground all humbly request that you will deign to accept the aforementioned apology, offered in person by the Champion of Khryl.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Since Knight Aeddharr is-”
“No, no, I heard you. . I mean, I
“Yes.”
I shook my head again. “It’s like getting offered a handjob from the pope.”
Markham’s brows pulled toward a hint of a grey frown. “What is the pope?”
“Never mind. All right, bring him in.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Let’s have it. I’m a busy man.”
“Freeman Shade, you misunderstand. The Champion does not come and go at your bidding; I am tasked to
