Chapter 24: Treading Water

Paene Umber maintained a steady breathing, trying to remain calm. Crick Hasting was anything but.

“We barely have the men to defend against the local populace as it is,” he said. “And now you want us to send a hundred men down the Rush?”

“We wouldn’t need so many men if you hadn’t instilled such fear into them,” Paene said. “I wish to the gods that you hadn’t used such cruel methods during your takeover.”

“Parish, you don’t understand… you’re so naïve. If I hadn’t done those things, what would stop people from uprising against me? Once you show that the king can be deposed with a quick strike, others will be quick to try—unless you can prove that such an action would be costly to them.”

Paene did not answer right away. He tried a different tactic. “As we speak, it is likely that Invercard is undergoing another assault,” he said. “And I don’t think that the men can hold it this time. If you send men down, you can hopefully stop them before they leave the Rush and break out into the Island Above. The people will love you. You’ll no longer by their conqueror, their torturer… you’ll be their savior.”

Crick scratched his chin. “I’ll think about it.”

Paene took a deep breath. “You can stop thinking about it,” he said. “I’ve already sent the men down.”

The Carpenter turned and looked at him. “You did?” he asked, softly. “Why would you do that?”

“You were nowhere to be found,” he said. “Time was of the essence. If we delayed even a bit, it might have been too late to defend the canyon adequately.”

“You have always been loyal to me,” the Carpenter said. “I suppose you were trying to do what was right. But you could have opened our conversation with that, instead of dropping this on me. Why didn’t you?”

Paene considered it. “You have always valued honesty…” he said, putting some meaning into his words. “Honesty at any cost. I will give you some now as well.”

“Please do,” Crick said.

“When I woke up, I was appalled at what I heard. You were no longer attacking our enemies. You were attacking the people that you swore to free. You burned innocent families inside their homes. You inflicted hideous tortures upon soldiers, some of whom were forced into that service—the exact sort of person that we created this whole movement more. And when I heard these things… I wasn’t sure who I was dealing with.”

“I was afraid,” he said, “that if I asked that you would say no. And if you said no… I was worried that the Island would burn. I took responsibility for it. I didn’t think that you were in a healthy state of mind to make that call.”

“It was not your call to make,” the Carpenter said. “But we will have words about this later. I need your help to come up with and build something truly fearsome for the Sunset Knight’s punishment. Something above and beyond what we had planned originally.”

“I suppose I can do that,” Paene said slowly. He had to keep the Carpenter in good spirits, or none of this was going to work. “Why the sudden increase? I thought what we had planned was fine.”

Crick cocked his head. “Because she violated the treat,” he said. “She captured you after you agreed to meet in good faith. I mean… I’m not too surprised. It’s what I would have done if she herself had met, and not the priestess.”

Paene was confused. “The Sunset Knight didn’t capture me,” he corrected. “The priestess did. Lito may have planned the idea, I suppose, but the priestess gave the order.”

Crick stood up suddenly. “That bitch,” he whispered. “That lying, traitorous, double crossing…”

Paene felt sick.

“I’m putting the Sunset Knight project on hold, Parish. That priestess deserves some immediate punishment.”

Oh, shit.

“Crick…” Paene said. “I can think of nothing that would be worse for your reputation than to publicly torture to death a priestess. I was the one harmed by this, and I’m telling you to let this go. Let her go home. Banish her from the city, put pressure on Ard-Abthen to prevent her from ever counseling again, something, but don’t kill her in this way.”

“Parish, this is not your call. I need you, but don’t test my forgiveness.”

“I understand,” Paene said, bowing his head slightly.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Paene nodded at the jailer. The burly man left soon after, twirling the newly acquired gold in his hands. Paene hoped that he wouldn’t report any of his midnight meetings with Lito to the Carpenter—he only had to keep his tongue a little longer, and Paene was happy to pay enough to ensure it.

“Hello again,” Lito said.

“Hello,” Paene said. He took a seat. “Your hair is growing back.”

Lito shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

They had been meeting every night for the last few days. Slowly, surely, Paene was winning her confidence.

“We need you to look powerful and able to lead when you get out,” Paene said. “Not beaten and battered.”

Lito laughed weakly. “That’s going to be difficult,” she said. “Unless you plan to house and feed me for a straight week after you break me out.”

Paene nodded. “We might,” he said. “I’m not sure how long we can wait after I kill the Carpenter.”

“Kill?” Lito asked. “Last night you only wanted to imprison him.”

“I’m killing him,” Paene said firmly. “He is dead set on publicly torturing the priestess to death.”

Lito was quiet.

“Which brings me to another point,” Paene said. “Why didn’t you tell me what you and Elaene had schemed together? I was caught confused, and told the Carpenter what really happened when I was captured.”

“Sunken hells,” Lito said. She leaned her head back wearily.

“Yes,” Paene said. “We need to make our move before then. If a priestess is killed in this way… the city is going to riot, and I don’t think we’ll be able to control them the feeble forces we’re going to have.”

After a few nightly conversations, Lito had revealed the truth: Dane Wrickon’s message was a fake. He had defeated the prisoners and was coming back up the road. Lito suspected that Dane might already be in Caeledonia. Paene was unsure.

They had sent down the Carpenter’s forces to solve a crisis that didn’t exist. Once they were able to make contact with Dane, Paene and Lito were going to spring their trap. The Carpenter would be dead, and the city would be united under their leadership. Both camps, they hoped, would be pleased with the outcome.

But none of Lito’s contacts had been able to confirm where Dane was. And until he was in the city, ready to help, they couldn’t move.

“I pray so too,” Lito said. “Gods. Elaene.”

“How did she convince the Carpenter?” Paene said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

“She tortured me,” Lito said. “The Carpenter watched.”

“That must have been difficult,” Paene said.

“I think it was,” Lito said. “Gods. How did this get so wrong? Elaene has her own plans to break me out, I think, but I haven’t seen her since that day. You obviously haven’t seen her, and now she’s doomed.”

“It’s a bad situation,” Paene agreed. “All we can do is pray that Dane gets back in time.”

Lito tried to stretch herself out. “Thank you for talking, Parish. You better get back.”

Paene nodded, and as he turned to leave, he thought of something.

“Lito,” he said. “Why did you trust me, over these nights?”

“On the one hand, why would you lie?”

“Giving you hope, then taking it away. It’s as cruel as anything that the Carpenter could imagine.”

Lito raised her eyebrow. “Do you always undermine yourself? You second guess everything.”

Paene shook his head. “Not exactly,” he said. “I try to see everything from all sides. Even the sides that I don’t agree with.”

“Regardless,” Lito said. “I have no choice. And even if it’s a lie… it’s a beautiful lie.”

Paene Umber nodded, and exited the jail. When he arrived back at his quarters, he found a message from the Carpenter. Elaene’s public trial was taking place next evening.

Paene stared out, trying to see through the walls of his quarters and into the city. He had less than twenty four hours to make contact with Dane, assassinate the Carpenter, run his counter revolution, break the Sunset Knight out of jail, and save Elaene.

He cracked his knuckles.

Let the water rise, he thought. I’ll swim through it regardless.

Chapter 24 1,448 | 53,400/50,000

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