‘How long you got?’ Warkur sneered. Then, ‘Nah, I’m grouchy this morning. One of our three Inquisition printing presses is defunct, and no one knows what to do about it — expensive bits of kit, too. And, I slept in my office again — Stel’s going to roast my behind if I do another night here, I swear.’
‘Surely she understands the commitment, sir?’ Fulcrom asked. ‘If you need a hand with anything…’
Warkur waved a fat hand. ‘I know you’ve been handed some pretty dire cases lately, Fulcrom.’
‘It’s not a problem, sir.’
Warkur glanced to the floor, rubbing his face with his palms to bring himself to a more alert state. ‘We’ve got an issue that goes right to the top — Balmacara. Now, it’s not a case or anything, it’s more of a… project.’ He leaned forward. ‘I don’t have to remind you that sometimes these matters go beyond mere secrecy.’
Fulcrom stole a quick glance to check the door was closed properly.
‘Now the Emperor’s worried, Fulcrom. He’s convinced Villjamur is very quickly falling to the underworld and that damn Shalev character is causing him a massive headache.’
‘I can well understand,’ Fulcrom agreed.
‘Urtica claims that the woman is behind most of the current crime, especially the acts of terrorism plaguing every military station and every shop on these outer levels, including the attack on the Jorsalir Bell Spire. City patrols are in a snit. Morale is shot to shit.’
‘And he has a plan?’ Fulcrom suggested.
Warkur regarded him with a glare that said shut up. ‘Yeah. Emperor Urtica has a plan all right. There’s this special project he won’t talk about, and he needs staff from the Inquisition to help. I can’t spare all that many men. In fact, I can only spare one.’
‘And that’s me?’
‘And that’s you.’
‘What do you need me to do?’
‘Good question.’ Warkur leaned back in the chair with a sigh. ‘I’m not entirely sure what the role will be, but it needs someone efficient and alert, apparently. Something to do with new technologies, so no doubt you’ll have some of those cultist bastards hanging around. You’re young, you’ve got a good brain, and you’re about as thorough as we get in this business. Just look at this damn office of yours for a start.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘Don’t thank me yet. I’ve not got a clue what you’ll be doing — could be hell for all I know. Thing is, Urtica trusts you specifically — when your name came up he remembered you from when you discovered who was behind the raid on the Treasury a few years back.’
‘He remembers that?’
‘Politicians have a long memory when it suits them.’
‘When would you like me to start?’ Fulcrom asked.
‘Later today. You’ll need to go up to Balmacara after noon. It’s a special kind of project, and since this kind of work might be new to the Inquisition, I’m putting you in charge of all special projects — your own department. Given that you’re working with the Emperor and might not be completely able to follow our routines, then it might as well be you.’
‘Might I ask how many are in this department, sir?’ Fulcrom asked.
‘Just you.’
*
After processing some administration of overnight detainees, Fulcrom took one of the Inquisition horses from the rear stables and rode up the levels of the city. Drizzly mist had drifted in from the coast, tainting the air with its chill, and many of the tall buildings dissolved into its mass.
Villjamur was layered like a cake, seven tiers in all. Fulcrom liked to boast he could run a circuit of the second level in two hours. The vast, house-rammed platforms were built in enormous arcs. The layers backed onto the caves at one end and, at the front, onto the city’s walls, which prevented any invading army from penetrating. The higher people lived was a general indication of the more money they had, and the formidable dark structure of Balmacara, the Imperial residence, dominated the city’s skyline, and could just about be spotted from every level.
Surrounding him were whitewashed or pebble-dashed structures, or faded thin limestone houses three or four floors high that leaned precariously into each other. Timbers seemed about to buckle around their midriff, but still these old buildings held themselves with a fading dignity. Traders moved back and forth from the many irens throughout the city, or to the shops higher up, whilst citizens, layered up in furs or rain capes, rooted around the wares, or headed to a tavern or bistro.
Fulcrom’s mare sauntered gingerly along the cobbled streets, and he made a point to greet as many people as he could. Citizens were worried — sure, there was significantly more crime these days, but people’s fear of it was far greater than the reality. The way some people spoke, it was as if the city had crumbled and Caveside gangs were in control. The reality was far from that; though Fulcrom had had his work cut out in dealing with burglaries and violent assaults and muggings, at least he wasn’t investigating murders.
So what could the Emperor want with him? And what exactly was he going to be doing? Fulcrom explored the depths of his mind, but aside from the connection that Warkur had mentioned there was nothing he could think of. Perhaps it was something to do with the case he and Jeryd had worked on, when they helped the refugees…
No, you’re just being paranoid. It was only Jeryd who was known to be involved, no one else.
More likely it was that Fulcrom had been selected because it was well known that he had no life outside of the Inquisition — a sobering thought. He had no partner to attend to now, and his only family in the city were very distant relations. Yes, I’m a loner in this world, but I’m happy enough.
At each level he accessed, even after showing his medallion bearing the angular symbol of the Inquisition’s crucible, guards searched Fulcrom thoroughly. Soldiers had garrisoned themselves in small stations on each level and, with the recent attacks, it was procedure for random stop-and-searches of civilians. He knew better than to make a fuss. He would rather set an example that if it was all right for the Inquisition to put up with this, then citizens could too. At least he was permitted up here — most of the citizens had to possess specific written documentation in order to head upwards.
Ever since the incident at the Bell Spire, the anarchist movement which originated and operated deep within the caves, Urtica had ruled with an iron fist. Fulcrom was especially surprised — not too long ago, the anarchists were a joke collective of angry and bitter individuals who knew little of politics. But ever since Shalev had arrived, only days after the legendary Night Guard soldiers had left for the north, the anarchists had suddenly become something to worry about.
*
‘No, the Council were not in the Bell Spire,’ declared Emperor Urtica, commander of the Urtican Empire, ruler of seven islands of the Boreal Archipelago and, Fulcrom had to confess, a man with a bit of a temper on him, ‘because I’m not that fucking stupid.’
Fulcrom should have known better than to ask the obvious question, even a few weeks after the event, but he didn’t expect the Emperor to be so… sharp in his response.
An aura of fear purveyed the golden halls of Balmacara. Gossip rippled through the administrative staff and servants, and filtered out to the rest of the city. All the stories he had heard filtered back into his mind.
Urtica was in his late forties, tall, and with short, dark hair showing a lot of grey. His grey tunic showed just under a purple robe — which differed from the green of the other councillors, but similar enough to suggest he wanted to be seen as a man of the people. There was definitely a charm about him, some innate handsomeness in his symmetrical features and broad chin, but any pretensions to glamour were cast aside the instant he opened his mouth.
‘My apologies, my Emperor, the Inquisition only gets few briefings on these matters,’ Fulcrom muttered humbly. ‘And I knew, of course, that you all survived — however, I merely spoke rhetorically, in appreciation of your tactical awareness.’
‘Yes, well… all right then,’ Urtica said. ‘Just try not to use honeyed words too much. That’s all everyone else does around here.’
The room was ornate, with huge mirrors and portraits and a fireplace so big a bull could stand in it. Light from the numerous windows lit the room with a dream-like haze. Urtica was seated behind a vast marble desk, edged with garish gold-leaf trim. Resting neatly upon it was what appeared to be a draft of the People’s Observer,
