operatives of the Society for the Protection of the Faith into the eastern Connec. Many were retired members of the Brotherhood of War, come over from their island of Staklirhod. They were hard men accustomed to employing harsh methods.
Brother Galon Breul and a team twelve strong, confident of the righteousness of their cause, established themselves in Antieux while Count Raymone Garete continued to dally at court in Khaurene.
5. The Mother City: Sublime's Revenge
Hecht left the children with Anna Mozilla. Vali had not spoken yet. To an adult. She had Pella wrapped around her finger.
Anna was not pleased. 'I don't know anything about children. Except that they're loud and dirty.' She kept house obsessively.
'They're people. Just not as polished as you. Treat them like people. Pella's been through the survival wars. He's probably more grown up than you.'
Not the best thing to say. But Anna had a knack for getting what he intended to say. Which saved a few blowups.
'What do I do with them?'
'Clean them up. Get some decent clothes on them. Put them to work around here. Pella will go stay with Pinkus as soon as he gets it worked out with Principate Doneto.'
Anna's look made it plain she considered Ghort a long shot. 'When will you tell me the whole story?'
'Soon as I get back. I hope. I missed you.'
'You missed me? You have things to occupy you?' As near as ever she came to lamenting her lot.
'It was a long, mostly unpleasant journey.' He would not share the more gruesome details. Like most warriors, he spared the innocent the worst.
Principate Doneto said, 'As usual, you two have managed to avoid getting fired. By the expedient of having produced useful results. My cousin was thrilled to hear that Immaculate is desperate enough to try assassins.'
Ghort asked, 'How thrilled was he to hear about what happened to Haiden Backe?'
'Not at all. As you must know. He's summoned Bishop Morcant. We'll have to suffer Morcant's version of events before we're allowed to reach conclusions.'
Meaning, Hecht supposed, that the conclusions had been concluded already and history would be hammered and polished till it fit. Because Sublime would want the official version to be one that served his purposes.
It was not a situation Hecht liked. Nor did Ghort. But their scruples would not be consulted.
Ghort had a miserable habit of spouting what he thought. 'Easy to see where this is headed. That godsdamned thief will tell the world his victim is the villain because he had the effrontery to defend himself.' He did not make clear whether he meant the Bishop of Strang or the Patriarch.
Doneto assumed the latter. 'You may express that opinion with me, Colonel Ghort, but don't let me hear you say anything where people outside the family might hear.'
'Heh? Why the hell? Is there anybody out there who doesn't know what kind of a dick he is?' So he did mean the Patriarch.
Anna Mozilla was psychic. Principate Bronte Doneto did not opt to find room for Pella in his household.
'Why did you see Doneto before you came to family?' Principate Delari asked Hecht. He asked similarly uncomfortable questions often. 'I was disappointed, Piper.'
'I went there first because Doneto is the man who can deflect the Holy Father's displeasure from Ghort and me. He won't gain any advantage from what I reported. Nor did Pinkus give him everything that he could have.'
'I'm pleased to hear that.'
'He could get me fired if he wanted. Who'd stand up for me? If he wanted Pinkus's job, though, three of the Five Families would get in the way as a matter of political principle.'
'So. What will you share with me that you didn't let Doneto have?'
Hecht glanced around. 'Where's Armand? I don't like telling you things in front of him. He makes me uncomfortable.'
That irked the old man. 'He's a boy, Piper. He cares about nothing but clothing and baubles.'
'Even so, despite all, he makes me uncomfortable. I don't apologize for that.' He would not tell the old man that his toy was an agent for both the Grail Emperor and Gordimer the Lion.
Delari did something that seemed trivial, said, 'Go ahead. No one will hear what you say but me. If you like, I can add a veil to make it impossible for someone to read your lips.'
'That won't be necessary.' Hecht told his guardian angel the whole story. Including his suspicions about Sonsa.
The old man said, 'That bothers me. The Brotherhood giving up their inflexible rectitude. That's the problem with the Special Office. They want to conquer the darkness by drowning it with darkness.'
Hecht did not raise the question of the elderly Principate's own devotion to powers drawn from the Night.
Delari went on. 'I'm equally troubled by the monster on the West Road. Might it be a bogon? Possibly the one you ran into crossing the Ownvidian Knot?'
'I never was close enough to get a feel for it. Principate Doneto would be the man to ask. He handled the thing in the Knot.'
Principate Delari shrugged. 'I doubt he'd cooperate. His cousin won't let him.'
When Hecht did not comment, Delari added, 'Sublime really believes most people are cattle put on earth to enrich the Church. And the rest of us are here to help make Honario Benedocto's dreams and schemes come to pass.'
Then he said, 'He's decided not to punish Duke fon Dreasser. Not right now. You haring off gave time for cooler heads to prevail. So to speak.'
'Oh?'
'There was time for word of what happened in the Connec to get here. The Collegium was outraged. Sublime did that without consulting anyone. He fell into a deep despair. He was counting on Backe and the Bishop of Strang to generate a flood of money. Instead, he's worse off than ever. His debtors are clamoring to be paid. No one will loan him another copper. Not just because of his poor prospects but because of the bad judgment he's shown in his efforts to acquire funds.'
'They'd have given him an old-fashioned triumph if his scheme had worked,' Hecht opined. His regard for those who facilitated the Patriarch's lunacies was low. There was no morality among them at all.
'Probably. Success erases all moral failure and defects. However… We can expect a period of uproar and outrage when the news gets around. Maybe a riot or two. Then life will go on as it always does. You may have noticed that assumption of the Patriarchal throne endows its occupant with considerable insulation.'
'I have noticed.' Hecht chuckled. 'The way donning the Imperial vestments insulated the old emperors from everyone but their own families and palace guards.'
Delari raised an eyebrow.
'No. I'm not floating a suggestion.'
'Good. I'm much more interested in that powerful Instrumentality near Alicea. And in what may be afoot in Sonsa. The Sonsans have done well, concealing their troubles from the rest of us. Give them credit for clever.'
Hecht did. The raging capitalists of the Firaldian and Direcian mercantile republics ran rings around more traditional states. They were possessed of an amazing energy.
How much more dangerous might they be were they not ones to waste resources fighting each other over markets and themselves for family supremacy inside the several republics?
Delari said, 'An aside. Your man Consent's conversion. Is it heartfelt? Or a ploy?'
'I don't think it's a ploy the way we Chaldareans would see it. Deves don't suffer that much, here. Has he discovered the verities in the preachings of Aaron and the Founders? Maybe. But I think the passion driving him is his own need to escape the expectations of the Deve Elders. He just wants to be Titus Consent, one part in a
