Page 107 of The Tainted Cup

WHEN WE WEREdone, Ana replaced her blindfold and called Miljin back into the room to share these revelations.

“Any chance these cantons mean anything to you?” Ana asked him at the end. “Mitral, Bekinis, Qabirga, or Juldiz?”

Miljin frowned as he thought. “Think I rode through Qabirga once. Lots of farms. And it rained. A lot.” He shrugged. “ ’S’all I got, ma’am.”

“Hm. Rather less than useful…” said Ana.

“I note we don’t have any conclusions regarding the actualmurder,though, ma’am,” said Miljin. “How Jolgalgan got in to poison Kaygi Haza’s bath, or the ten dead Engineers…And the fire, and the hole in the ground on the Haza property. Don’t have much there, yes?”

“We have more than we think,” said Ana. “I believe I have one solid idea, at least. We’ve been wondering how Jolgalgan snuck poison into the halls of the Hazas, yes? Well—what if she secretedherselfin with it? For I suspect it’s very likely that she infiltrated the Haza grounds andburiedherself in that little hole for a day, or two, or more, waiting for the party.”

There was a short, stunned silence.

“Truly?” said Miljin.

My eyes fluttered as I summoned the image of the little hole up in my mind. “That could work…” I whispered. “It was large enough, yes. Then when she heard the music and talking, she could just stand up, slip out, brush herself off, and join the crowd.”

“And when the party was done,” said Ana, pleased, “she’d just leave with them.”

“But how could she navigate the servants’ passageways up to the roof?” asked Miljin. “They were close, cramped, and dark.”

“Well, Jolgalganisan Apoth,” said Ana. “And we know Apoths have a fondness for self-alteration. When Nusis went to go look at Suberek’s corpse, remember, you asked if she needed a lantern.”

Again, my eyes fluttered as I remembered the moment. “But Nusis said she could see perfectly well in the dark,” I said.

“Yes,” said Ana. “Admirably simple, isn’t it?”

“It’s…interesting,” said Miljin. “But not watertight. Still don’t know how Jolgalgan got on the grounds in the first place, ma’am.”

“We don’t!” Ana said chipperly. “But I have a theory, though it will need researching. That’s where you come in, Captain. Would you please go about getting a list of recent Talagray Legion personnel, please? I would like especially for you to focus on enhanced individuals. Enhanced forstrength,specifically—much like yourself.”

“ ’Course, ma’am,” said Miljin.

“Good. I think we have a lot to parse through—but tomorrow, Din, you and I shall get more. For we must interview those we once called colleagues, to hear what they saw at this party. Perhaps they saw our killer in action—and witnessed something that may be useful to us.” Then she paused and turned to me. “But Din…one last thing.”

“Yes, ma’am?” I said wearily.

“When you first came to the Hazas’ property, you asked how big it was.”

“Yes?”

“And then you asked how big the dead titan had been, the one they’d taken the claw from.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Am I correct in believing that the axiom—the Sublime enhanced to process calculations—saidnothingto any of this? She voicednonumbers at either time?”

“Ah…no, ma’am. She did not.”

Ana’s fingers fluttered in her dress. “And on Fayazi’s arm. Youspied paint there, as if to conceal bruising. Like someone had gripped her arm very tight.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Interesting…” whispered Ana. “That is all. I simply wished to confirm. You may go, and sleep.”

We thanked her, exited, and departed for our rooms, as it was very late in the evening by now.

It wasn’t until I’d undressed and laid my head on my pillow that I realized Ana had not commented at all upon my issues with text. Not once. Before I could think on it further, the tower shifted and creaked below me, my eyes fell shut, and I slept.