Shatterglass

Dont joke,Tris said, her voice flat. makes my head hurt. Where are you taking Keth? Who are you, anyway?

The mage sighed. name is Demakos Nomasdina, arurim dhaskoi at the Elya Street arurimat. Thats where we re taking this murder suspect, teacher or no teacher. And who are you?

Trisana Chandler,she retorted, giving herself the Tharian title. This superior young man would learn that she could not be pushed around. Im coming with you. She looked at the housekeeper. someone for Jumshida and Niko. Theyll want to know about this.

Dhasku, the woman replied with a bow of the head.

hope you are a truthsayer,Tris informed Nomasdina. She knew how to manage this. She had to keep him on the defensive, and not allow him time to think that she was only fourteen, medallion or not. I doubt that Dhasku Jumshida Dawnspeaker will be happy to learn a guest of hers was abused.From the looks exchanged by the arurimi and the mage, she knew she d hit a nerve. Shed hoped that Jumshidas name and position that of First Scholar of Mages Hall and Second Scholar of Heskalifos would throw a damper on things. did you not notice whose house this is?

The mage reassembled his lofty facial expression. may vouch for him at Elya Street,he informed Tris. there are truth spells I can use. First, though, we are going to see the woman he murdered.

DidntKeth began, only to receive Triss elbow in his ribs.

Before he could ask why shed poked him, Tris told Dema, her voice as lofty as his, I go with him.To Chime, who waited on the dining-room table still, she said, stay here.

First they had gone to the Fifth District Forum, where Keth saw the reality of the image inside the glass ball. Numb all over, voiceless with pity over this unknown yaskedasu, he was only dimly aware of the quarrel between Nomasdina and the priests of the All-Seeing. He overheard snippets. The priests had wanted to take the dead woman away two hours ago, but they had agreed to wait until the arurim dhaskoi confronted Keth with the crime he was supposed to have committed. Keth knew hed disappointed Dhaskoi Nomasdina when he didn t crumble and shout out his guilt. All he could do, seeing the tumblers remains, was address a prayer to Yorgiry, the Namornese goddess of death and mercy, that she grant the dead woman a new, longer life.

When he could bear to look no longer, he turned away and inspected his surroundings. The arurimi whod arrested Keth watched him, as intent as dogs looking at a bone just out of their reach. Keth shud dered. If the arurim dhaskois truth spell didnt work, and such spells were tricky if the caster didn t originally have the ability to truth-read, Keth knew what came next: torture. Unless they had a truthsayer on duty at the arurimat. Somehow he didnt think the district that included the charity hospital, Khapik and the slums of Hodenekes spent a great deal of money on truthsayers.

A small, nail-bitten hand rested on his arm briefly. ll come,Tris said quietly. and Jumshida. Nobodys going to hurt you if we can help it.

Keth stared at her, numb. How could she possibly say that? Was she so young that she didnt know how things worked for outsiders in any city, in any nation? Jumshida was a Tharian; she wouldnt protest the way things were done.

Fellow Nomasdina keeps watching me for some sign of guilt,he replied at last, feeling he ought to say something. suppose Im going to have to tell him I knew one of the Ghosts victims.

Ghost?Tris repeated with a frown.

s what the yaskedasi are calling the murderer. Because he seems invisible. A girl disappears, and the next day shes dead with a yellow veil around her neck.

mean to tell me theres been more than one killing?asked Tris.

Keth looked at the poor dead creature now enclosed in a circle of protective magical fire. with her.

The arurim dhaskoi Nomasdina stamped over to them, a scowl on his dark, lean features. can report me to the First arurim all they want, he grumbled, more to himself than to Keth or Tris. had to give it a try. Lets go,he ordered his arurimi.

Street.To Keth he said, have to veil you again.

Unlike the first time Dema shielded them, on their approach to the Forum, neither Keth nor Tris protested. As they had walked there, magically hidden inside a circle of arurimi, they had pushed through a crowd of people ripe for murder if they got their hands on the Ghost. Now Tris and Keth huddled inside the guards as the arurimi walked them out through the mob. There were cries of will you find the kakosoi? and long does it take to find a killer?There were other cries, suggestions of what should be done to the murderer when he was caught, bloody and fiery plans.

Admire their imagination,Tris murmured to Keth as the crowd jostled the arurimi and the arurimi jostled her and Keth.

He looked down at her, startled: though they were invisible to everyone else, they could see each other perfectly well. How could she joke at a time like this? might think I did it,he reminded her, fright making him stammer. Hard to admire their i-magination wuh-when they wuh-want to do that to m-me.

sorry,replied Tris casually. are you the killer? This Ghost?

Keth started to shout a denial, then remembered he was supposed to be invisible. he whispered fiercely. I look like a killer to you?

For curiositys sake, how long have you been student and teacher?Dema asked. The circle of arurimi broke free of the crowd and marched toward Elya S treet, dodging pleasure-seekers on their way to Khapik.

Keth and Tris looked at one another and shrugged. hours?asked Keth.

Like that,Tris replied.

CHAPTER FIVE

Once inside the Elya Street arurimat, they were taken to a room where magi c could be worked and kept from spreading to other parts of the building. There Dema positioned Keth inside a holding ring set into the floor and called on its protections so the northerner couldn t escape. Once they were set and Tris was tucked into a chair in the corner, Nomasdina produced vials of powdered sage, coltsfoot and orris, and blew a pinch of each at Keth s face. The powders hung, sparkling with the magic that made them more powerful. Nomasdina then used a carnelian to sketch the signs for truth and eloquence in the air between them, watching the silvery paths the symbols made as they floated in the air.