Part 16 (1/2)

Jozsef looked away from the pillar, at the profile of the old htened 'Lukacs is still my son What will happen to hi our traditions'

'I also know, Lord, you have the authority to dispense as you see fit'

The old man nodded, then turned and looked at him The chips of jade were flecked noith azure 'I do, Jozsef And I would hesitate to cast out any son of yours for a transgression even as serious as this But other things have coht'

Jozsef closed his eyes

'Last night in Buda a young woirl has accused her betrothed of the crime' The Fnok shook his head 'It's not often an incident like that gets reported, or even taken seriously when it is, but this girl is a bit of a fighter, by all accounts'

'And what does this have to do with e of a precipice, the Fnok's finger resting against his spine

'Hopefully nothing, my friend But they picked up the boy shortly afterwards and threw hie one Heyour son's nairl At this stage we know little more than that We have not had a chance to speak to the boy ourselves' The azure flecks in the Fnok's eyes had faded 'The palace has asked us to investigate That's unprecedented Regardless of what has or has not taken place, the fact that the palace has even requested that we cooperate, demonstrates the lack of trustenjoy in so, Jozsef, and seeks to distance hiive him an opportunity to clear his name'

'Yes, Lord' Jozsef hesitated 'If I may ask: ill happen to the boy in the cells?'

'Guilty or innocent, he will hang The stakes are too high for any alternative Your task is simple, Jozsef Go back to Godollo Return here with your son'

Lukacs was looking down at the courtyard through the leaded s of the music room when he saw his father ride in under the arch He watched Jozsef dismount and hand the reins to a servant

If you knehat I'm about to tell you, Father, perhaps you'd walk a little less upright

Lukacs headed down the stairs to his father's library His storown too confident for that But even the ht nerves Considering the nitude of what he was about to reveal, it was testaht in hiht anxiety Overriding everything was his thirst to see the expression in his father's eyes when the man realised that, ultimately, he had failed to impose his will on his son Lukacs's situation was now a fait accozet process, he hadJozsef could do noould change that Perhaps if his father had listened, perhaps if he had consented to Lukacs's requests, this ht have ended differently Instead, he had lost both his son and the respectability he valued above the feelings of his offspring Jozsef had not listened; had never listened Lukacs would ensure that his father heard him properly heard hi as the door to the library swung open, unable to ness even as his stomach flipped and his heart raced, Lukacs watched his father enter the room and come to an abrupt halt

Jozsef stared Lukacs met his eyes and stared back

His father took a breath of air and it seemed to catch in his throat He shuddered Bizarrely, his eyes filled with tears Then he crossed the roo it at his son's head

Lukacs was so surprised that he failed to react The blow caught hi crack in his face He staggered, fell to his knees When he looked up, Jozsef punched hih it, pain blinding him The fist slammed into his skull a third time and when he sprawled on the floor, Jozsef kicked his

Hands grabbed hi him to his feet He blinked away tears to see his father's face, inches from his own, eyes a mad burst of colour Jozsef snarled and hurled him backwards into a bookcase Lukacs's head struck a wooden shelf He fell to the floor a second time, accompanied by a rain of books His father strode to a bureau Mazarin, yanked out a drawer and began to riffle through its contents

Lukacs tried to focus on healing, on repairing the dae his father had done But he was too shocked to concentrate 'Whayou doing?' he slurred

'I know, Lukacs, you hear ed the entire drawer out of the desk and dumped it on top 'The Fnok knows too They all know, but they wish to offer irl, Lukacs You knehat the penalty would be The tanacs will not allow bad blood to thrive'

'Wait, Father Rape?' He tried to work out how anyone could know, and once he worked that out, wondered why anyone would give the story credence, especially so quickly Especially his father

Did they all think so little of him?

'Don't lie to me, Lukacs And don't make this harder than it already is' Jozsef found what he was looking for Froer and unsheathed the weapon, turning it over in the light Tears washed his cheeks 'You've thrust a knife in h the pain If he were found guilty by the tanacs, the sentence would be capital With sudden clarity, he understood that his father did not intend things to go that far Jozsef would not suffer the hu blood froging fro across the roo and put the blade to his throat

Lukacs tried to e quickly enough if his father cut his throat? Possibly But what if Jozsef didn't stop there? What if he kept cutting? The thought panicked hiled, the blade of the knife bit, its steel drawing a line of fire across his throat

He was so close to his father's face he could see the individual pores of his skin, smell the tobacco on his breath, the mint oil, feel the wetness of his tears

Jozsef ainst Lukacs's forehead 'I loved you, you stupid boy Despite everything I loved you, always loved you, always And then you did this You did this to irl Why, Lukacs? Why? I don't want to do this, I really don't, but I , Father'

Jozsef bellowed With his free hand he hauled Lukacs away froainst it

The shelf cracked his head and the knife sliced deeper Lukacs felt the blood beginning to course down his throat, hot and thick

And then, with eyes now as black as the heart of a solar eclipse, with spittle hanging froth, Jozsef ripped the blade through his son's neck Lukacs's eyes bulged He felt blood erupt froush over Jozsef's forearms Heard it spatter across the floor

His father held him, face contorted

Lukacs tried to speak, tried to twist out of Jozsef's grip, tried to focus on his throat But the pain was too great He felt his legs buckle, and when they surrendered coainst the bookcase

He coughed, choked Spashten His thoughts began to spin away fros emptied and this time when he took a breath, he found that he could not, found that his lips were nu, that his, that

Balazs Jozsef relaxed his grip on his son's body and allowed it to thuered to the bureau Mazarin and plunged the knife deep into its wood Panting, sobbing, he roared again and upended the heavy wooden desk Papers, candles and writing i the ruins Weeping, he pressed his palainst his skull

How could this have happened? How?

Was it his fault? Had he failed the boy soht of his dead wife andhad made him retreat from the world, from the responsibility he bore to his sons What would she think if she could see this? What would she say? Her middle son a rapist Her husband soaked in his blood

Raising his head, Jozsef forced hiashed throat fro tide A dark iht

No

Yes It was Kinder this way Better for the boy

You must not do this

Better for everyone

NO!