'You had to think they were up to something, working out of your place all that time.'
'Yes. But they paid well for the privilege.'
'I'll turn you over to Titus eventually. Tell him the story from the beginning. Name any names you heard. And anything you overheard that seemed unusual.'
'I… Of course.'
'The reason being, those Witchfinders were working against the Patriarch and the rest of the Brotherhood. They may have been seduced by the Adversary.'
Bit did not buy that.
Neither did Hecht. But it was a hypothesis fit to make people think.
'Tell me about Vali Dumaine, Bit.'
The old woman frowned. 'Give me more to go on. I don't know the name.'
One of the staff assistants showed himself long enough to beckon Titus Consent, who went over, whispered, then followed the man downstairs.
'Buck and I came to the Ten Galleons. We did our business. You helped us disguise ourselves to get back out. So you wouldn't get burned out by the thugs then closing in. Women and children were part of our disguise.'
'You're asking about the one who wouldn't come back.'
'I am.'
'What did she tell you?'
'That isn't the subject. The subject would be, who is she?'
'A natural-born liar. She convinced the other girls that she'd been kidnapped…'
Bit was a hard woman who had survived in a difficult trade for a long time. It took a lot to intimidate her.
Principate Muniero Delari was a lot, however.
She stammered.
'Bit, cut through it. I want to know who the girl is.'
'I said. A natural-born liar. A natural-born actor. I bought her from her mother. Doing the woman a favor. She needed the money. And I've been sorry ever since, haven't I?'
Hecht glanced at Delari, who shook his head. Bit hadn't gotten up close with the truth yet. Hecht said, 'Real name, Bit. Mother's name.'
This line of questioning was not what the old madam had prepared for. 'I think it was Erika Xan.'
Titus Consent came back to the head of the stairs. He waved for attention. Hecht nodded, held up a finger. 'Your Grace, this woman is incapable of telling the truth. Why don't you work on her for a few days?' He went to see what Consent wanted.
Titus said, 'Colonel Smolens wants to know if you want to keep control of the Viscesment bridges.'
Surprised that Consent would interrupt with that, he said, 'Yes. Even if we don't need them ourselves, we decide who does use them. Has he dealt with those assassins?'
'Three. He sent us the fourth. Who wants to buy his life by spinning tall tales.'
'We can see about that after we're done here. Is that it?'
'No. There's news out of the Connec. Duke Tormond's uncle, who rules Castreresone on Tormond's behalf, has died.'
'And that's important because?'
'Castreresone passes to Tormond's sister Isabeth. Who is the wife of Peter of Navaya. Meaning Peter now has cause to take offense if we attack Castreresone.'
'I don't like it. That sounds contrived. Report as soon as you know anything for sure.'
'I'm sure it was arranged. This might be why Sublime hasn't given the go order.'
'Maybe. But this isn't critical. And I'm busy.'
'I'm sorry, sir.' Consent retreated downstairs.
'What was that?' Delari asked.
Hecht sketched the news.
'A scheme to keep Sublime preoccupied sounds likely. Sit down. The lady has been made cognizant of the implications of her situation.'
'You ready to cooperate, Bit?'
'Your sorcerer convinced me. It makes more sense to fear the devil at hand than the one lurking in your imagination.'
'Absolutely true. Tell me about the girl.'
'Erika Xan brought her. She said she was the girl's mother. She wasn't. Erika Xan had dark hair, dark eyes, and dusky skin. The child doesn't. She speaks Firaldian with very little accent. Erika Xan had a heavy Artecipean accent. She paid me well to hide the girl. She never came back to reclaim her.'
Hecht looked for Principate Delari's opinion.
'She's telling the truth she believes.'
'Artecipea again.'
'Yes.'
'Bit, why hear this Erika Xan's appeal in the first place?' Her scowl told him that was a question she had hoped she would not be asked.
'She was my cousin. On my mother's side. At one time she was in the life, too, but she found a sponsor. She was scared to death when she came to me. She was mixed up in something really wicked. She wouldn't talk about it.'
'And she was Artecipean. Meaning you're Artecipean.'
'Yes.'
'I missed. I thought you sounded Creveldian.'
Principate Delari asked, 'Where is your cousin today, madam?'
'I don't know. I assume that what scared her caught up with her.'
'And she told you nothing about the girl?'
'No.'
'Piper, I believe her. She didn't want to tell the truth and only sidled up to it, but she told it in the end. Madam, what is the child's real name?'
'I don't know.'
Hecht asked, 'Where did she come up with Vali Dumaine?'
'She never used that around me.'
Delari said, 'Yes, Piper. Ever more threads lead to Artecipea.'
Hecht asked, 'Bit, did your cousin mention where she'd come from? Or where she'd gotten the money she paid you?'
'She came from the island. I expect she stole the money.'
'And she told you nothing about what was going on?'
With strained patience, 'She was running. She didn't have time.'
Principate Delari stopped Hecht's interrogation. 'Wait, Piper.'
He waited. The old man meditated more than a minute, then said, 'Other lives, other ways of thinking, Piper. You can understand that.'
Hecht nodded. A brothel was foreign territory. How could he understand how things were done there? 'Who else did Ghort bring back?'
'Mostly hostages from the Three Families, but some relatives of this woman as well.'
'I want a girl Vali's age. This one's granddaughter. I don't remember the name.'
'I think we have that one.'
The old woman showed no reaction. A hard life had schooled her well. She said, 'Interrogating the mistress of a sporting house is a waste of time, Captain-General. The essence of the profession is discretion. Clients expect you to fail to pay attention.'
Delari responded, 'That, madam, is first cousin to your earlier fabrications. Every whore or whoremaster who ever was looked for ways to squeeze their marks. You may not be able to provide the answers the Captain-General wants. But you will be honest when you answer him. Or this will be a long visit for you.'
