“The Inquisition’s own prime instigator, the honourable Sherzal, sister to our emperor Crucical, is my first witness in this case. Additionally I have sworn testimonies from four separate watchers attached to the investigation at Sweet Mercy, which I personally supervised. And I will be calling upon the daughter of a lord highly placed among the Sis to give evidence relating to her years at Sweet Mercy under the abbess’s care. Joeli Namsis will give us a first-hand sworn account of heretical practice witnessed within the convent over recent—”
Glass adopted a puzzled expression. As Pelter drew breath to express further thoughts on the subject of her guilt the abbess rattled her chains to claim the room’s attention. “Isn’t it normal for a senior inquisitor to lead such high-level investigations, brother?”
“It’s me that asks the questions here, abbess,” Pelter snapped. He brushed a hand across patchy grey hair on a reddening scalp. “Senior inquisitors are required for the judges’ table. Any full inquisitor can lead an investigation.”
“But it is unusual for the investigation of a convent or monastery to be led by anything other than a senior inquisitor.” Sister Agika commented from the judges’ table without looking up from her notes. “One might even call it unique?”
“Who gave the order for this investigation, brother?” Seldom fixed Pelter with amber eyes and a raptor’s stare.
“The prime instigator initiated proceedings, as is her right.” Pelter’s glance flickered to Sherzal behind the second railing.
“Then she must have initiated them before the occurrence of any of the events that your charges relate to.” Glass spoke into Pelter’s discomfited pause.
“I ask the questions!” Pelter rounded on Glass, practically spitting.
“I didn’t ask a question,” Glass said.
“Enough.” Sister Agika raised a hand. “Perhaps you could present your first witness, brother, and have her address these points as well as any others you feel pertinent.” She nodded towards Sera, who came towards Sherzal, her hands glimmering with silver chain. As she reached out the emperor’s sister pulled back, scowling.
“As the prime instigator undoubtedly knows,” Sister Agika raised her voice, “all witnesses in an Inquisition grand trial wear the silver chains during their testimony to bind them to the Ancestor’s truth.”
Sherzal’s gaze flickered towards the gathered lords. With a forced smile she presented her wrists to Sera and the guard dutifully bound the thin chain around the royal wrists, wrapping them half a dozen times before leaving the ends hanging loose.
“Now, prime instigator.” Brother Pelter positioned himself before the emperor’s sister. “Honourable Sherzal. If I may—”
“You didn’t ask me how I plead.” Abbess Glass raised her voice just as she would on seeing novices misbehaving in the cloister.
Brother Pelter rounded on her, mouth working but managing to articulate no words.
“It is customary.” Sister Agika nodded.
Pelter gathered himself. “My apologies. I had assumed that you would try to cling to a claim of innocence and force us to the unpleasantness of putting an abbess of the Church to the sternest of questioning. Am I to understand that you wish to plead guilty and move directly to sentencing?”
Abbess Glass let her gaze wander from Pelter’s flushed cheeks to the men and women on the lords’ benches. Sherzal had done an impressive job to array such a large fraction of the Sis beneath her roof. Some of course would never place themselves in her power, but many had decided to entrust themselves, old allies, new allies, or just houses with sufficient confidence in their own power and in Sherzal’s fear of the emperor’s censure to keep them safe. The Sis have a saying: “Murder the wrong man and he’ll kill you.”
“I am not pleading guilty, no.”
Pelter threw up his hands with a noise of disgust. “So you claim innocence and waste our time.” He turned back to Sherzal, mouth opening to speak.
“I’m not pleading innocent either,” Glass said.
Pelter didn’t bother to turn but he did lift his voice. “Your grasp on Church law seems to be as feeble as your grasp on Church doctrine, heretic.”
Some among the lords laughed at that. Glass spotted Arabella Jotsis and Joeli Namsis sitting just a few seats apart on benches to the left of the lords, Terra Mensis between them.
“I’m pleading special dispensation,” Glass said.
“Special . . . ?” Pelter turned back to her with a bewildered smile, hands circling to bring forth some explanation.
“Special dispensation,” Glass said. “I have permission from High Priest Nevis and High Inquisitor Gemon to practise heresy.”
A rumble went through the crowd, heated muttering, glances exchanged.
“Why would—” Pelter abandoned questions in favour of accusation. “No you don’t! That’s a lie! You expect us to believe such nonsense just because you have the audacity to speak it?”
“I have written permission. Signed and sealed.” Glass met the inquisitor’s stare.
“No you do not!” Pelter shouted. Then more quietly, “We searched you!”
Agika struck the table before her. “Produce these documents or fall silent, abbess. Such claims cannot stand upon the word of the accused.”
“My hands are tied.” Glass lifted her wrists. “But if someone were to reach into my habit?” She pressed her hands to her left side. The document had spent most of the journey strapped high on her left thigh but in the seclusion of a palace privy Glass had placed it for more ready access just before coming to trial.
Sera clanked across, meeting Glass’s eyes with a puzzled look as she retrieved the parchment, then passed it to the judges and returned to her station. Pelter eyed his colleagues furiously as if the offending article should have first been delivered into his hands.
The three inquisitors crowded around the parchment, holding corners to keep it flat.
“It bears the high inquisitor’s seal . . .” Seldom said.
“A forgery.” Dimeon dismissed it with a wave. “The abbess once held that office herself! She kept her seal and—”
“It’s Gemon’s seal,” Agika said. “And his signature.”
“I’m not so sure,” Brother Dimeon rumbled.
“There is
