Page 70 of A Drop of Corruption
“I am, ma’am,” chirruped Ana.
“But…that would suggest that youknowwho this man is.”
“And I rather think I do, ma’am!”
“Then stop playing your goddamn games, woman!” snarled Thelenai. “Tell us your conclusions!”
“Oh, I will,” said Ana. “Under two conditions.”
Thelenai stared in naked outrage. “You are in no position to make demands! I am the ranking officer here, and this is an emergency!”
Ana shot forward. “Andwearenotformally in the Empire!” she said. “That’s been quite a useful loophole for you, hasn’t it, ma’am? Some rules can be obeyed, others less so. How shall it go when I try the same?” She sat back. “I want to talk to Din, alone. That is the first condition. And the second—I wish to talk to you, Commander-Prificto.Alongwith Immunis Ghrelin. For I feel the two of you shall have much to say to me shortly.”
Thelenai’s green-tinted eyes widened. I thought I saw a faint crinkle of terror within her gaze. She debated it silently.
Thelenai stood. “Everyone out of this room,” she said. “Except for the Iudexii.”
“Oh, and Malo, please,” said Ana. “I’d like her to stay.”
“What!” snapped Thelenai. “The warden? Why?”
Malo raised her hands like someone had pulled a blade on her. “I have no desire to get involved with this shit.”
“I suspect Malo’s knowledge of the region might be valuable!” said Ana, grinning. “It should take no longer than fifteen minutes, I expect—it’ll take that long to summon Ghrelin here, yes?”
Again, the mention of Ghrelin seemed to cow the commander-prificto. Thelenai shut her mouth and swept out of the room. The wardens did the same—Sabudara shot me a quick wink—Thelenai’s retinue followed, and then we were alone.
—
The second the doorclicked shut, Ana swiveled to Malo. “Signum—keep your ears open,” she said, “and you tell me if there’s anyone at the door, as well as if someone else is approaching. Do you hear me?”
“Thatis why you asked me to stay?” said Malo, offended. “To act as your guard dog?”
“I also assumed you’d like to be involved in this, too,” Ana said, “being as it’salsoyour job to catch this fucker!” Her head then turned to me. “Din—I’m going to need you to summarize all you saw out in the jungle there, and damned quickly, too.”
“But I have no scent to anchor it with, ma’am,” I protested. “I was in a warding helm all that time.”
“Given the way all the Apoths were reacting to your return, I’d guessed as much,” said Ana. “So I had them brew this up.”
She slipped a small vial out of her satchel and passed it to me. I uncorked it, gave it a sniff, and wrinkled my nose.
“Algaeoil,” I said. “Saliva. Mucus. And…sweat?”
“And also the aroma of the little glue they use for the helms’ eyepieces,” Ana said, pleased. “Figured you were sniffing that throughout your ordeal. Now you’ve a scent. So, talk, child! Talk, and talk quick!”
I sniffed at the vial. My eyes fluttered, and I rapidly gave her the full spill of it. Even though we were in the most bizarre ofcircumstances, it began to feel like every other report I’d ever given her: names, times, words spoken, and the number of the dead. When I finished, there was a tense silence as Ana absorbed it all.
“So,” Ana murmured. “Our man is not simply a thief, nor a murderer, but…something very, very different. A schemer and slaughterer on a level that even I struggle to comprehend. Sanctum knows how many he’s killed!”
“What is he doing, ma’am?” asked Malo. “It is all madness and horror to me.”
“It is as I told Din,” Ana said. “He is sendingmessages.Yet I am not sure who the intended recipient is. I am fairly sure it is not the Iudex, though.”
“Ghrelin and Thelenai,” I said. “That’s got to be who the code is for, yes?”
“Yes,” said Ana. “Ithinkso. And before you ask, no, I am not familiar with this code, though if given time I might make headway. But it is the words our man left that trouble me greatly. I take it neither of you are familiar with them?”
Malo and I shook our heads.
