Table of Contents – (spoilers)
Father Morrenthall excused himself and left Peep and Choke alone in his office. He returned shortly with a jug of wine and three cups. Once he had served them, he sat back down at his desk to sip at his wine with a satisfied smile.
“Your brother, Nikolas, seems to be applying himself earnestly to his prayer. Do you think he is?” Father Morrenthall asked Choke.
“Father? I’m sorry, is he what?” stammered Choke, who was still rocked by the earlier talk of Ban Altas and Peep’s possible sainthood.
“Do you think he is earnest?”
“Yes. I expect so, Father. He always was the sort to break the rules flippantly and then take to chastisement well.”
“Good.”
“How long are ye gonna leave him kneeling in the church like that, Father?” Peep asked.
“As long as I want, Otilla. All night, I think. After all, tomorrow is Sunday and you shall be resting here for the Sabbath, and both he and Theodas will be able to recover. Understand, it is not the fornication that is at issue. It is the adultery. With the wife of a sergeant of archers for the Baron. Foolish. And dangerous. What if he had been discovered? This archer would have killed him. And that would move you to retaliate. Or, at a minimum, you would be compelled to protect your fellow. And what might come of that? Nothing good. At the very least, bad blood and a vendetta with dangerous people that would otherwise be allies. At the worst, the Faith would lose several valuable fighters. Height of foolishness! It is for this that I punish Nikolas.”
“I understand, Father. I didn’t think about all that,” Peep said.
“I know you didn’t. You are yet young. And as experienced as you are in your ways, you are yet green to leadership. As is Bartholomew. So, let me see if I cannot guide you a little. Yes?”
“Thank you, Father,” Choke said, nodding deeply.
“Yeah, for sure, Father!” Peep said happily.
“Now, as to what has transpired in relation to this Lieutenant Dixon and the corruption you uncovered: your confessions today will serve as evidence. I shall document it properly shortly. Before I do, though, is there anything you would like to add as evidence to what you have already confessed to me?”
Both Choke and Peep shook their heads.
“No, that was all of it, I’m pretty sure,” Peep said.
“Very good. Now, as to the particulars of your methods. Otilla, I understand why you made the move that you did on the Corporal. Strategically, it made good sense. He was clearly corrupt, and his removal inflamed the tensions of your enemy. Or, at least, of Lieutenant Dixon, who was at that time your primary target. Killing him made good sense.”
“Thank you, Father,” Peep smiled.
“However. What you did was murder a corporal of the King’s military. So I cannot say I approve of your actions, as strategically and tactically sound as they may have been.”
“But, Father, I heard him talking to the other soldiers! He was planning on killing us! I’m not making that up,” Peep said, allowing her irritation to show.
“I understand that, my child. And it may muddy the waters a little. But merely saying that he would like to kill you, or suggesting to his man that they should do so, is not the same thing as actively conspiring to do it. Do you understand the distinction? This is crucial, for within it lies the distinction of murder. Legally speaking, I mean. And he was, after all, one of the King’s corporals. There are appropriate ways to deal with such problems,” Father Morrenthall said patiently and gently.
“I get that, Father. But it aint like we were in a position to run those down to ground. Right? We’re out there alone in the bush, with all them fuckers trying to kill us ugly! Whad’re we supposed to do?”
“Please refrain from cursing, Otilla. I understand your frustration. As I understand the action you took. And please listen to me carefully now as I tell you again: I cannot say that I approve of your actions,” Father Morrenthall spoke the last sentence slowly and clearly, stepping with crisp emphasis on the word, “say.”
He then waited, watching Peep for the dawn of understanding to show in her eyes.
“Yes. You understand what I am telling you, my child. And it is for this reason that we shall be omitting the entire incident from our evidence. With the Lieutenant and Sergeant both dead, as far as the Baron and his soldiers are concerned, this corporal was driven away into the bush along with the other soldiers whose pay was stollen by these rascals. We shall make no more mention of him. Yes?”
“Father?” stammered Choke as Peep beamed happily at her new favorite person.
“Make no more mention of the corporal Otilla murdered. To anyone. And see to it the rest of your people understand this. Have I made myself clear, Bartholomew?”
“Yes, Father,” Choke bowed his head.
“I understand this is shocking to you, my son. But we all must grow up some time. And we are just about out of time. Our doom approaches, and the men that must be rallied and organized to offer up whatever defense might be had are presently idling in corruption, indolence, and incompetence. They must be brought to heel. This is what we do. This is our role, as much as any fighting. This is my role. And the role of more serious and capable members of our respective orders who, even now, are surely making haste to lend their hands to the cause.
“So understand that any mention of the corporal’s murder shall only inflame matters and make our holy task more difficult. And, as you know, a lie of omission is not the same thing as a lie. This is why we often must compel speech from those we seek evidence from, so that we may hear their words rather than interpreting their silence. And remember that I am your confessor. And in our imminent dealings with the Baron and his people, I shall be the one speaking for you. And none shall be speaking to you without my say so. You are the lawful agents of a Brother of the Holy Stone, and as a priest of the Knights of the Holy Sword, a fraternal order to your Brothers, it is my duty to take you under my wing. Do you have any objection to this?”
“No, Father. Of course not. Thank you, Father,” Choke said.
“Yeah, no doubt, Father! Peep grinned.
“Good. So here is how we shall proceed. As you know, tomorrow is Sunday. You, all four, shall attend Mass with me, front and center, cleaned and polished, to show the flock what it is they must attempt to emulate in these times of trouble. Expect a large congregation. Pilgrims have been arriving, seeking audience with Otilla of the Holy Fire; to see the blessed Wheels of Stron laid down in her flesh through the miracle of her Holy Possession. And you shall grant them all an audience, Otilla,” Father Morrenthall said, with just a trace of a sadistic smile.
Peep, whose humor had faded fast as she came to understand what Father Morrenthall was talking about, exploded as he finished:
“Oh, shit! Those follower assholes? Come on, Father!”
“Language, Otilla!”
“Sorry, Father. But, come on! Those blubbering weaklings aint gonna of no use to no one. What’s the point of stringing them along?”
“That may or may not be, Otilla. But from such sheep, followers may be formed. And with numbers, they may become a movement. And from such movements, great things can be leveraged,” Father Morrenthall said.
Peep slumped despondently in her chair.
Father Morrenthall laughed. “I am not asking you to become their mother. Simply indulge them in an audience at Mass tomorrow.”
“Yeah, okay. But where d’ye think that’s gonna lead, Father?”
“To you having followers. As you should.”
Peep slumped even further into a deep, murderous scowl.
“Now,” Father Morrenthall said with a change of tone that signaled a new subject, “about the worldly matters that must be dealt with. We shall have to have your evidence heard by the Baron, and your position properly filed with his steward at the fort. I shall make a Monday morning appointment for this. We should be able to settle all matters at once.”
“The Baron is back from Chestbrook, Father?” Choke asked.
“Indeed, my son. For several days now. And it is time for you to meet him. Now about that: you have uncovered corruption in the very heart of his fort. Your anonymous informant, Bob the teamster foreman, told you that the payroll skim was carried out here in Spitzer. That most likely means the Baron’s quartermaster is implicated. The Baron is not going to enjoy hearing this. So, I am afraid to say, that your informant may not be able to remain anonymous once things begin to gather momentum.”
“Well, I guess that’s okay, Father,” Peep said. “But the guy was pretty clear that he wasn’t gonna give any evidence official, like. And he doesn’t seem the sort that’ll fold easy.”
“That may be. But a brave front presented for your benefit is one thing. Standing up to a proper investigation is quite another. So we shall see,” said Father Morrenthall.
“About that, Father, who shall be doing the investigating. Is there a magistrate here in Spitzer?” Choke asked.
“You touch it with dagger point, my son. There is no magistrate here. The Baron himself serves to dispense justice. Spaggot Barony is small enough that he can manage this himself. Or so he thinks.”
“If that’s the case, who’s doing the investigating, Father?” Choke pressed.
“The sheriff usually keeps the peace and brings criminals before the Baron for his judgement,” Father Morrenthall said, giving Peep a significant look.
“The sheriff? Oh, ff—”
Peep interrupted herself as she cut off her curse before she could utter it.
“Indeed, Otilla. Now, we reach a delicate topic. Are you comfortable speaking candidly about Sheriff Waters and his jailer at this time? Would you prefer to speak alone on this?”
“What? Oh, because Choke’s here? No, that’s fine. He’s already heard everything I had to say about them,” Peep said.
“Good. Well, the Baron himself has been to see me concerning the accusations you made about them to the Baroness. She has been troubling him about it,” Father Morrenthall said with an amused air.
“Well, that’s good, Father,” Peep said.
“I suppose that might be. So, now, I would like to hear your story as a matter of evidence, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure thing, Father.”
“Thank you.” Father Morrenthall grasped his bright steel Wheel of Stron and cast a spell. “Lord Stron, please grant me the ability to Detect Lies. Thank you for your blessing. Amen.”
Father Morrenthall then looked to Peep.
“Now, Otilla, what was it that the jailer, Billy, did to you?”
“Well, when the sheriff arrested us for fighting and killing Orcstabber, Billy felt me up when he first searched me. You know: grabbed all my private parts. Then, when he had me downstairs, he did it again, but, ye know, more grabby. And for longer. Then, the sheriff came downstairs with Thorn and told me that if I didn’t do a good job for him, then he’d, the sheriff, I mean, would let Billy have his fun with me. And he called me a slut and another bad word about people that, ye know, let men have fun with their mouth. Then he stuck his thumb in my mouth.”
“And that is all?”
“Yes. What, ye need me to get raped so’s we have a real crime? It’s pretty obvious that’s what they do in there, right?” Peep said, her anger rising.
“Yes, that may be. But I am attempting to determine the full truth of what happened to you, Otilla. Not hear speculation about what might be. So, that is all?”
“Yeah. That’s all, Father.”
Father Morrenthall sighed. “Well, I must say, Otilla, that what Sheriff Waters said and did is clearly inappropriate. But it hardly rises to the level of crime, however sinful it might be.” He held up his hand to quiet Peep, who was raising up angrily. “But. The jailer Billy did assault you. That much is clear. Even so, you must understand, that with his job being what it is, assaulting people is what he does. He tortures, mutilates, and otherwise violates people, men and women, for the Baron. I have a similar fellow that I use for such unpleasant tasks.”
“And d’ye let him fondle the women’s privates, Father?”
“No. I do not, Otilla. Which is why I say that Billy the jailer did indeed assault you. But I think you ought to be able to see why the Baron, and the Sheriff, may not take this as seriously as you might hope,” Father Morrenthall said reasonably.
“Oh. I ought to see that, huh?” Peep said, glaring hard at him.
“Yes. But that is not to say that I shall not make every attempt to get justice for you and the other unknown victims they have likely assaulted. What is equally concerning to me, and has been for some time, is how corrupt Sheriff Waters seems to be. I very much want to put him to the question to hear his earnest and honest testimony on all these matters.”
“And if ye ask him if he rapes women in his custody, and he sits mute, what then, Father?” Peep asked.
“Well, then, it all depends on how much authority I have to investigate him freely, doesn’t it? Listen, children, the situation is this: the Baron is a fine fighter, a good officer, and a reasonably competent administrator. But he is a busy man, without the resources to manage things properly. His steward is his great-uncle, his grandfather’s brother. Father Gerban is his name: a priest of Altas. Father Gerban was at one time a good steward, I have heard, having served three generations of Lord Harts as such, but he is now quite elderly and prone to serious lapses of attention. A proper steward would not allow the corruption we now know is in the fort, nor that which we suspect with the sheriff. Things have gotten out of hand.
“Now, the Baroness makes a good show of piety, of the Altarian fashion. But she is no friend of Stron. As well, I suspect that she harbors some heretical notions. The women of her line are known to have fomented such. Not a person I would seek an alliance with, is what I am saying. However, she has made a nuisance of herself to her husband over this matter of the sheriff and the jailer’s lustful unpleasantness, and this may be of use to us. The Baron is a simple soldier at heart. He wants his domain to run smoothly by itself so that he need not bother himself with its management.”
“And I suppose ye know just the man to run it for him, don’t ye, Father?” Peep said.
Father Morrenthall smiled. “You, Otilla, are too clever by half. It shall get you into trouble one day.”
“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m smarter than the average knuckle-dragger out here, Father,” Peep laughed.
“Intelligence is one thing. Intelligence is valuable. Cleverness, on the other hand, is taking pride in one’s intelligence. Cleverness is performance for the sake of self-satisfaction. It alienates more than it attracts, and that which it does attract is fatuous. It is with cleverness that the intelligent often make trouble for themselves.”
“Yeah, I suppose yar right about that, Father,” Peep said.
“I know I am. Now, I shall be documenting the evidence you have given me. Tomorrow, after Mass, I shall arrange an audience for us with the Baron and Father Gerban, the Baron’s steward in the fort. I shall present your evidence to the Baron and file your paperwork with Father Gerban. Then, I shall press the Baron to make me his magistrate here in Spitzer. It is clear that the corrupt tentacles of this teamsters’ Outfit have wormed their way throughout this place. It is time to root them out. We can ill afford to be idle on this any longer. Not with the portents of doom being as they are. Finally, we shall see about getting you some proper soldiers to take back to Bristlehump. There is much for you and Barrelmender to do there as well. We shall all have to be busy in these coming weeks if we are to have a chance of earning Stron’s aid.”
Father Morrenthall paused and waited for Peep and Choke to process what he had said. When it seemed to him they had, he asked:
“Any questions?”
“No, Father,” Choke said.
“Yeah, sounds tight, Father,” Peep agreed.
“Good. Then you may go and join your fellow, Theodas, in some relaxation. But do remember that I want all of you spit shined and polished for tomorrow’s Mass. You may inform Nikolas that his penance shall continue until Mrs Dunn rings the dinner bell. Then he is to clean himself up before bed. He is not to drink alcohol. Is that all clear?”
“Yes, Father,” Choke and Peep said in unison.
“Very good, then. Dismissed.”
Muse Vassal 