Iâll be back,â she whispered.
Whandall nodded. It had been a long performance.
He watched. It was difficult to untangle. The kinless woman Clarata told of the killing, questioned any who had been nearby, showed bloody clothing. Of the men who spoke for Jispomnos, the little kinless man demanded that Clarata produce Jispomnosâs knife. Whandall nodded: no Lordkin would throw away his knife. He argued that the clothing wasnât his, didnât fit. Jispomnos was elsewhere during the killingâin the Eastern Arc, in the woods, in a dockside winery with Water Devils to vouch for him, and on a boat bound for Condigeoâuntil the audience roared with laughter, covering Whandallâs own giggles.
But the Lordkin advocate spoke of Jispomnosâs prowess as a fighter, his standing in the bandsâ¦
Shanda came back. âWhat did I miss?â
âI think I get it.â
âWell?â
âTheyâre not talking to the same people. The little kinless, heâs funny, but two of the judges are kinless, so heâs talking to them. He tells them Jispomnos didnât do it. But Jispomnos took a kinless as his woman. He lives like a kinless. What the Lordkin judges want to know is, did Jispomnos make himself kinless? The Lordkin advocate, heâs telling them that Jispomnos is still a Lordkin. He had the right to track his woman down and kill her.â
âThe
right?â
Her eyes bugged.
âWhy?â
He had no way to tell her that. It just
was
.
So he lied. âI donât understand that either.â
Shanda whispered, âI donât think anyone does. Itâs based on something that really happened in Maze Walkers. A Condigeo teller wrote this opera. The grownups like it.â
The trial was still going on when part one ended and everyone applauded.
The lords and ladies drifted apart. Samorty and Qirinty walked under the balcony. Samorty was saying, âAnd thatâs the
best
part. Greatest argument for getting rid of that arts committee I ever saw.â
âLet
me
run the arts committee. Or you. Or Chondor. At least weâllhave shows that satisfy someone.â Qirinty stopped in his tracks. âThatâs what we need! A show! Not for us. For the Lordkin!â
âNot Jispomnos!â Samorty said. âYouâd start the next Burning!â
âNo, no, I mean, give them a parade,â Qirinty said. âGet their attention and tell them about the aqueduct. Tell them weâll have it done⦠before the rains?â He went back to his couch, looked up at the night sky. âItâs the season. Why doesnât it rain?â
âNot a bad idea,â Jerreff said. âWhile all the Lordkin are off at the parade, Samorty here can meet with the kinless association council. Explain what weâre really doing with their taxes.â
âFind out if theyâre ready to join the Guard,â Siresee said.
Quintana said, âLordkin hear youâre meeting with kinless and not them, thereâll be trouble.â
Jerreff waved it off. âWeâll meet with some Lordkin too.â
âWho?â Qirinty asked.
âWho cares? Get the word out, weâre meeting their leaders. Somebody will show up.â
âNow thatâs disrespectful,â Samorty said. âAnd the Lordkin want respect.â
âNo, they donât. They demand it.â Sireseeâs words were meant to cut.
âWell, they say they want it, and they certainly demand it,â Samorty said placidly. âI agree, Jerreff, it doesnât matter a lot which Lordkin we talk to. They donât keep their own promises, and none of them can make promises for Yangin-Atep. But we have to talk to them.â
âWhy?â Siresee asked.
âTime you children went to bed.â
Behind him!
Whandall jumped, but it was only Serana the cook. âBefore Miss Bertrana catches you up so late,â she said.
Morning was