Part 15 (1/2)

The sooner the prisoners were gone, Hanner told himself, the sooner he could concentrate on other matters . ..

Such as his own unwanted magic.

Chapter Sixteen.

The Lord Magistrate of the Old Merchants' Quarter leaned on his desk and looked unhappily at Hanner.

”Vandalism, theft, a.s.sault, and unruly behavior,” he said. ”Disobeying the orders of a representative of the overlord.”

”That's right,” Hanner answered.

”You aren't mentioning the use of forbidden magic.”

Hanner frowned and glanced at Rudhira. She was keeping both feet firmly on the plank floor. Beside her, Zarek and Othisen were standing silently, listening and watching carefully. The four prisoners were arrayed on the bench, their wrists and ankles chained. Hanner had not askedBern why Uncle Faran had had chains and cuffs in his house; he didn't want to know.

”I'm not aware that the magic they used is forbidden by any statute or edict,” Hanner said.

”But they do have this new magic that was running wild last night.”

”Yes,” Hanner conceded. ”Then if they're magicians, why haven't they resisted imprisonment? How did you bring them here?”

”By hiring other magic, of course,” Hanner said. ”These other three a.s.sisted me in capturing and holding the prisoners.” He gestured at his remaining aides.

”They're magicians, too?”

Hanner nodded.

The magistrate sighed. ”To the best of my knowledge the overlord has not yet issued instructions as to whether this new magic is criminal in nature.”

”Then it isn't,” Hanner said. ”And you need only rule on the actual crimes involved-theft, vandalism, a.s.sault, unruly behavior, and the refusal of orders from the overlord's representative.”

”That would be you?”

”Yes.”

”Lord Hanner, to the best of my knowledge you hold no official position in the overlord's service, as yet.”

”That's true.”

”Then I can't rule on that-only the overlord can say whether you were correct in acting in his name.” He brightened up suddenly. ”Which means that I must, regrettably, refer this case to a higher authority...”

”But you can't!” Hanner said. ”The overlord won't allow anyone into the Palace, and I don't think Lord Karannin is going to come out and rule on this case.”

”To be blunt, my lord, that's not my problem.”

Hanner glowered at the magistrate. ”Fine, then! I hereby drop that charge. Deal with the others.”

”I do not see the aggrieved parties-the owners of the stolen and vandalized property-here ...”

That was the pebble that sank the barge.

”By all the G.o.ds and demons!”Hanner roared, startling everyone, including himself. He stepped forward to the desk and only at the last instant refrained from leaning across and grabbing the magistrate by the throat. ”You're one of Lord Azrad's magistrates! Will you stop making excuses and do your accursedjob, sir? I have brought you three men and a young woman caught in the act of wantonly stealing anything they pleased and smas.h.i.+ng anything in their way, I have brought you three eyewitnesses in addition to myself, and Idemand that you deal with the matter!”

”Ican't!” the magistrate insisted. ”The overlord might outlaw this new magic at any moment and order them all to be hanged!”

”Well, he hasn't done ityet!” Hanner bellowed, leaning forward until his nose almost met the magistrate's own. ”I've been holding these four prisoner in my uncle's house, and I can't hold them forever! I have no idea when Azrad will finally make up his mind, and neither do you, and the entire city can't just waitaround doing nothing until he reaches a decision! Justforget about the magic, will you? Treat them as ordinary thieves and vandals!” ”And what if I let them go, and the overlord ...” ”I'lltake the responsibility for that!” Hanner shouted. ”You just get on with it!”

”You'll take responsibility, before these witnesses?”

”Yes,blast you!”

”Very well, then. Ordinary thieves and vandals.” He looked at the waiting prisoners, pointed at the first one, and said, ”You! Do you deny any part of what Lord Hanner has said of your actions last night?”

He had chosen Kirsha, the only female. ”No, my lord,” she said.

”Are there any extenuating circ.u.mstances you believe should be considered in determining your punishment?”

The girl hesitated, glanced at Rudhira, then said, ”I thought I was dreaming, my lord.”

The magistrate sat back in his chair.”Did you?” he said. ”How interesting! Why?”

”Well... Ihad been dreaming, a nightmare about falling and burning and smothering, and then I woke up but I was hanging in midair-my lord, I'd never even spoken to a magician before; the only flying I'd ever done was in dreams. So I thought I was still dreaming.”

”And you didn't notice that the World was its usual solid self?”

”But it wasn't! Not at first, anyway. I could fly and make other things fly, and there were people screaming everywhere-everything seemed mad, so I thought it was either a dream or the end of the World, and I could do anything I pleased.”

”So you went rampaging through the street, looting shops.”

The girl nodded unhappily.

”That doesn't say much for your upbringing or your common sense.”

”I know,” she whispered.

”Five lashes, and you will compensate your victims as best you can.”

The girl flinched, but Manner thought the sentence was fair enough.

He didn't comment, though; he was too busy regaining his own composure. He had never before yelled at anyone like that in public. Not since childhood had he lost his temper so completely.

He hoped it wasn't connected to becoming a warlock; the idea that he might eventually go rampaging through the streets, as so many warlocks had done the night before, was profoundly disturbing.

On the other hand, he had seen Uncle Faran lose his temper that way once or twice, usually when he was short on sleep and severely overworked, so perhaps it ran in the family and he just hadn't had the occasion to experience it before. The next prisoner to be brought forward was a young man, Roggit Rayel's son. He had known he was awake, but claimed he had thought the city was being destroyed by screaming demons, and had wanted to gather enough treasure to live on when he fled to Aldagmor.

”Aldagmor?” the magistrate asked. ”Why Aldagmor? Do you have family there?”