Bitterblue

'We return things to their rightful owners.'

'So, there's a gargoyle artist somewhere and you're bringing him back his gargoyles? What possible use could he have for them now?'

'Don't ask me,' said Saf. 'I've never understood the use of a gargoyle. They're creepy.'

'They're lovely!' said Bitterblue in indignation.

'All right!' said Saf. 'Whatever. They're creepily lovely. I don't know what he wants with them. He only asked us for a few of his favorites.'

'A few? Four?'

'Four from the east wall. Two from the west and one from the south that we haven't managed to steal yet, and possibly won't, now. The guard presence on the walls has increased since we stole the last one. They must've finally noticed that gargoyles are going missing.'

Noticed, because Bitterblue had pointed it out? Were her advisers the ones who'd arranged for more guards? Why would they do that, unless they believed the gargoyles actually were being stolen? And if they believed it, why had they lied?

'Where's your mind, Sparks?' asked Saf.

'So, people ask you for things,' Bitterblue repeated. 'They make requests for specific items Leck stole, and you steal the items back for them?'

Saf considered her. There was something new in his expression tonight. For some reason, it frightened her. His eyes, which used to be hard and suspicious, were softer, touching her face and hood and shoulders, wondering something about her.

She recognized what was happening. He was deciding whether or not to trust her. When he reached into the pocket of his coat and handed her a small bundle, she found that suddenly, whatever it was, she didn't want it.

'No,' she said, pushing it back at him.

Stubbornly, he pressed it back into her hands. 'What's wrong with you? Open it.'

'It'll be too much truth, Saf,' she insisted. 'It'll make us unequal.'

'Is this an act?' he said. 'Because it's a stupid one. You saved Teddy's life: We'll never be equal. It's not any deep, dark secret, Sparks. It won't tell you anything I haven't already said.'

Uncomfortable, but counting on this promise, she untied the bundle. It contained three papers, folded small. She moved closer to a streetlamp. Then she stood there, in rising distress, as the papers told her a thousand things Saf hadn't said, immediately.

It was a chart, three pages long, composed of three columns. Running down the left column was an alphabetical list of names, straightforward enough. The right-hand column listed dates, all falling in the years of Leck's reign. The items in the middle column, each one presumably corresponding to the name on the left, were more difficult to characterize. Across from the name 'Alderin, farmer' was written, '3 farm dogs, 1 pig.' Across from the second instance of the name 'Alderin, farmer' was written, 'Book: The Kissing Traditions of Monsea.' Across from the name 'Annis, teacher' was written 'Grettel, 9.' Across from 'Barrie, ink-maker': 'Ink, every kind, too much to quantify.' Across from 'Bessit, scribe': 'Book: Monsean Ciphers and Codes; paper, too much to quantify.'

It was an inventory. Except that the middle column of inventoried items seemed to be as crowded with people—'Mara, 11,' 'Cress, 10'—as it was with books, paper, farm animals, money. Almost all of the people named as inventory were children. Girls.

And that wasn't all this paper told her, not by a far shot, for Bitterblue recognized the handwriting. The paper, even, and the ink. One remembered such particulars when one had killed a lord with a knife; one remembered accusing the lord, before killing him, of stealing his people's books and farm animals. She drew the list to her nose, knowing how the paper would smell: just like the charter of the people from the town of Danzhol.

One lonely puzzle piece clicked into place. 'This is an inventory of items Leck stole?' asked Bitterblue shakily.

'In this case, someone else stole them, but it's clear that it was on Leck's behalf. Those are the types of things Leck liked to collect, and the little girls clinch it, wouldn't you say?'

But—why hadn't Danzhol simply told her that he'd stolen from his townspeople on Leck's behalf? That his ruin had begun with Leck's greed? Why hide behind hints when he could have defended himself with that truth? She would have listened to that defense, no matter how mad or disgusting he was. And why had the people of Danzhol mentioned missing farm animals in their charter, but not their missing daughters? She had imagined that Leck had taken castle people, city people. Those were the people the fablers talked about in their stories. She hadn't known that his reach had extended to the distant country estates of his lords.

And that wasn't all. 'Why would you be stealing these things back?' she asked, almost frantically. 'Why would this list make its way to you, not to the queen?'

'What could the queen do?' asked Saf. 'These items were stolen during Leck's reign. The queen has issued blanket pardons for all crimes committed during Leck's reign.'

'But, surely, she hasn't pardoned Leck's crimes!'

'What did Leck ever do for himself? You don't think he marched around smashing windows and grabbing books? I told you, these things were stolen by someone else. That lord who just tried to kidnap the queen, actually, and ended up poked in the gizzard,' he added, as if this piece of trivia should amuse her.

'It makes no sense, Saf,' she said. 'If these people sent this list to the queen, she would find some legal way to provide remuneration.'

'The queen is looking ahead,' Saf said glibly, 'haven't you heard? She has no time for all the lists she would receive, and we manage it quite well, you know.'

'How many lists are there?'

'I expect every town in the kingdom could provide one, if pressed,' he said. 'Don't you?'

The names of children crowded thick before her eyes. 'It's wrong,' she insisted. 'There must be a legal recourse.'

Saf took the papers from her hands. 'If it's any comfort to your law-abiding heart, Sparks,' he said, folding the papers up again, 'we cannot steal what we cannot find. It's rare that we locate any of the items on these lists.'

'But you just told me that you manage it quite well!'

'Better than the queen could,' he said, sighing. 'Have I answered your question?'

'What question!'

'We're playing a game, remember?' said Saf. 'You asked me why I stole a gargoyle. I told you. Now I believe it's my turn. Were your people part of the resistance? Is that how your father was killed?'

'I don't know what you're talking about. What resistance?'

'You don't know about the resistance?'

'Perhaps I call it by a different name,' she said, doubting this but not caring, for her mind was still wrapped up in the last matter.

'Well, it's no secret,' he said, 'so I'll explain it for free. There was a resistance movement in the kingdom while Leck was alive. A small group of people who knew what he was—or who knew it part of the time, at least, and kept it in writing—tried to spread the word, remind each other of the truth whenever his lies grew too strong. The most powerful among them were mind readers, who had the advantage of always knowing what Leck was trying to do. A lot of the members of the resistance were killed. Leck knew they existed and was always trying to stamp them out. Especially the mind readers.'

Bitterblue was paying attention now.

'You really didn't know,' Saf said, noting her surprise.

'I had no idea,' she said. 'That's why Leck kept burning Teddy's parents' print shop, isn't it? And that's how you knew about burying. Your family was part of this resistance and kept written records of the old traditions, or something. Right?'

'Is that your second question?' asked Saf.

'No. I'm not wasting a question on something I already know the answer to; I want to know why you grew up on a Lienid ship.'

'Ah. That's an easy one,' he said. 'My eyes settled when I was six months old. Leck was king then, of