《The Dream Eater》


 Chapter 1

    The tomb had lain undiscovered for untold years, its only resident the remains of a long-departed man, its only visitors the desert wind and sand. Now, life once again visited this place of death. The seal had been broken and the door pried open, as the first ray of harsh wilderness light in centuries pierced the interior of the simple tomb. And then two men, their heads and faces wrapped in scarves to protect against the heat of the sun, entered the burial chamber. Their eyes reflected the torchlight¡ªone pair a deep brown, the other a piercing blue¡ªboth now radiating outward with flickering orange-gold flame.


    The tomb itself was modest, barely more than a rough natural cavern evened out to form a square room; at the far end, a stone sarcophagus lay along the back wall. No other adornment decorated the walls, apart from the embellishments of spiders who long ago, in their distinct way, had woven their own intricate tapestries to commemorate the dead. But even in the simplicity of the tomb, the two men felt the magical energies still hanging in the dry, stale air, crackling like the static charge in the breeze from an approaching thunderstorm.


    Silently, reverently, the men entered, barely daring to breathe lest it disturb the hallowed aura of the crypt. They tiptoed to the far wall, their feet making tracks in the thin layer of sand beneath them. The stone coffin at the far end of the chamber was itself modest, hardly ornate, imitating the tomb within which it resided. But etched expertly into the lid was an image of an owl¡ªbeak open, wide eyes staring outward, with wings outstretched and sharp talons reaching forward, as if capturing the likeness of a great bird of prey at the moment before it captures its quarry. And below the etching, engraved for all posterity, were the words:


    H¨¦r liggur galdramaeurinn mikli Udul-Ba¡¯shum


    Truflaeu ekki hina d¨¢nu og l¨¢ttu t¨¢ hv¨ªlast


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    tv¨ª allir verea ae tola draumlausan svefn daueans


    They were written in the Old Tongue, the ancient language of the Giants; the dark-eyed man reached out a hand toward the script but stopped short, not daring to touch it, then looked to the other: ¡°What does it say?¡±


    The blue-eyed man kept his eyes fixed on the engraving as he translated. ¡°Here lies the great wizard Udul-Ba¡¯shum. Disturb not the dead and let them rest, for all must endure the dreamless sleep of death.¡± Then, after speaking the words, with no further hesitation he stepped forward and pushed the heavy stone lid of the sarcophagus off its base, revealing the decayed remains within. Inside, only a parched skeleton survived the centuries; yet clutched in its osseous arms was a book with a dark leather cover, covered in dust. He firmly gripped the book and pulled it from the skeleton¡¯s unresisting hands, carefully brushing off the layer of dust. Underneath, now, arcane runes were visible, expertly inscribed on its cover. The book itself showed no sign of decay or degradation despite the centuries, preserved by its ritual enchantments. The man inspected his find, an unseen smile appearing behind the scarf covering his face. This was the object of his search, after months of directing teams to comb through the wind-swept deserts of Zir.


    Then, the blue-eyed man peered back down into the coffin again, and noticed a gold ring on the bony left index finger. He reached down and brusquely took that as well. The finger, now held only in place by the forces of time and history, broke off its joint and clattered further down into the coffin.


    The brown-eyed man gasped and wrung his hands. ¡°Sir, do you think that is wise?¡±


    Blue eyes stared back at him, filling the room with silent contempt. Then, passing over the unanswered question¡ª¡°Did any of the other work teams know of this location?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, no sir, just you and me, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s keep it that way.¡± A glint of steel reflected in the torchlight, just for a moment, as the cutting blade of a silver dagger swiftly plunged into the dark-eyed man¡¯s belly. He fell to the ground, clutching at his wound, gasping and crying out, as blood pooled onto the floor.


    And then the light that pierced the tomb slowly waned as the blue-eyed man sealed the door once again, a sepulchre now for two.

 Chapter 2

    Ezita waited outside the manor, pulling her cloak tighter around her. The air of these mornings of early spring was still cold; the morning fog hung low to the ground, leaving chilled droplets on one¡¯s skin. It was a strange place, this city of Eletheia. Ezita was no stranger to living in a city, but it was difficult to get used to the unfamiliar sights and sounds of living in a place so close to the sea. Maybe after a few months she might feel at home here, or at least not find herself so lost among the narrow, winding streets. Maybe she would eventually learn how to navigate between the districts, like she had had to do this morning, travelling from East Tassos to the Eupatridae District¡ªthe distance was not even particularly far, but she had somehow gotten turned around, travelling south instead of west, and had needed to ask for directions from someone else who was up at this early time of the morning. Such mistakes, and the necessities of relying on others for help, served to remind her that she was a stranger in a strange land.


    She was still waiting for the investigator she was supposed to meet with. Behind her, a few of the city guards, who called themselves Vigilants, were milling in and out of the impressive manor house. She could hear the creaks of their leather armour straps, the clinks of their weapons, as they moved to and fro. She inhaled a deep breath of the cold morning air. Ezita was not exactly familiar with investigating murder scenes, but apparently this was her task for today. One year, and then I¡¯ll be out of here, and back to my studies. Just one year. She crossed her arms and shivered to try to keep warm.


    * * *


    Alexandros had been walking quickly, partly to make good time and partly to keep the morning chill off of him. Being near the water made the breeze even cooler, and he could smell the tang of salt in the air. He hated getting up this early, but when one of the Vigilants knocks on your door with an urgent dispatch from the captain¡ªyou listen. All the same, that didn¡¯t mean he had to like it. Alex muttered under his breath some unkind words about just what he thought about mornings.


    The location he had been given was in the Eupatridae District, definitely the fanciest area of the city¡ªcertainly not a place in which Alex would ever be able to afford to live on an investigator¡¯s salary. The only way I¡¯d ever be able to afford waterfront property would be if I set up a place under the docks, he thought to himself. But then I¡¯d have to deal with some crabby neighbours.


    Here, in the Eupatridae, the air smelled of salt, but decidedly did not reek of fish or sweaty sailors. Nor did it carry the noise of dockworkers as they loaded and unloaded cargo from the great kerkouros and hemiolia merchant ships that lined the docks. Here was where most of the nobility of the city lived; the houses in the district were practically palatial¡ªspacious courtyards, servants¡¯ quarters, and banquet halls the size of Alex¡¯s whole house. The homes were the very definition of grandiosity and opulence. But now, one of these homes had become the site of a grisly murder.


    ¡°Excuse me, over here,¡± a woman called out. Alex looked in the direction of the call; he didn¡¯t recognize the woman, but there were several other Vigilants milling about the entrance of the manor house, so evidently he was in the right place. ¡°Are you Alexandros Miniades?¡± she asked as he got closer. He sized her up as she did the same. Him, a stocky, bronze-skinned man with brown eyes, curly sandy-brown hair, and a two-day beard. Her, a thin woman with pale skin, raven-black hair pulled neatly back into a ponytail, and sharp, angular features. She wore a green cloak that was unlike the typical mode of fashion in the city of Eletheia, but as with Alex, she had it tightly wrapped around herself to stave off the chill of the air. She squinted at him and pursed her lips, clearly waiting for a response from him that was taking just a bit too long.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s me. You can call me Alex. And are you the Auspex?¡±


    She gave a little nod. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Adding dryly, ¡°Try not to look so thrilled to see me.¡±


    Alex gave a little chuckle, and shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t rattle my cage neither way. I¡¯m here to do my job, same as you. You got a name, or should I just call you Auspex?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°My name is Ezita Almasi. I just arrived from Kor-Tur not less than two weeks ago, and yet somehow I ended up at the scene here before you. I even got lost on the way here, yet still I had to wait. How is it that I can find my way around the city better than you?¡±


    Alex raised his hands in a defensive gesture. ¡°Whoa, whoa, I had to come all the way from the Silver District! That¡¯s all the way on the other side of the city! Sorry it took me so long. You could have waited inside.¡±


    Ezita paused a moment, then shook her head. ¡°Sorry. I suppose I am simply grumpy this morning. I imagine you would prefer if I were not here, and I am not particularly thrilled to be here either.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it doesn¡¯t bother me. We¡¯re here to get the job done. Just always seemed odd to me to request wizards all the way from Kor-Tur to help us out with criminal investigations. Most of the criminals here tend to swing swords and daggers rather than wands. We don¡¯t tend to trust magic much around here; people generally see it as a coward¡¯s tool¡­uhh, no offense.¡± Ezita gave a little shrug at this. She had read up on the area before arriving, and was well aware of the general disdain for the arcane arts. Alex continued, ¡°So I don¡¯t know if there¡¯ll be much for you to do on this case. But what do you say we go inside and see, shall we? It¡¯s cold out here.¡±


    ¡°That it certainly is. Alright, let us go in.¡±


    And so, the odd pair of investigators went through the front gate of the manor house, nodding to the guards as they went by, and made their way to the master bedroom in silence.


    * * *


    The scene within the bedroom was a scene of pure, savage violence. Blood was splattered all over the walls, and even the ceiling had the residue of blood that had since dripped back downward. A dark red pool had collected on the bed, soaking into the feather pillows, spreading around them, and dripping onto the floor. The body¡ªwhat was left of it, anyway¡ªwas lying on the bed, hands extended up toward the head. Only¡­there was no head. Instead, in its place, there was only a mushy pulp of skin, bone, and brain matter scattered about above the neck.


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    ¡°Sunell protect us¡­¡± Alex muttered involuntarily upon seeing the grisly sight. He had entered the room first, and now instinctively reached his hand back to slow down Ezita. ¡°You might want to stay outside, to be honest. I see murder scenes on the regular, but this is¡­a lot. Even for me.¡±


    ¡°And just how exactly am I supposed to do my job if I cannot even investigate the scene of the crime?¡± Ezita pushed past his arm and entered the room, then turned pale for a moment as her hazel eyes widened. ¡°I, uhh¡­oh. Wow. Yes¡­I see what you mean.¡± She closed her eyes and took a moment, breathing deeply to give herself a chance to recover from the startling sight. Then, standing up straight and steeling herself, she opened her eyes again and continued. ¡°Okay, so how do you normally begin these investigations?¡±


    Alex poked his head back out of the room and motioned one of the city guards over to them. ¡°Were you the first on the scene?¡±


    The Vigilant nodded. He was a large man¡ªbroad-shouldered, forearms as big as some people¡¯s calves¡ªclearly well-suited for a life devoted to making sure everyone within his eye-line acted in accordance with the law. ¡°Yes sir,¡± he drawled with the local accent native to the city of Eletheia. ¡°Man by the name of Nikolas Vascatos found him¡ªsent a servant to fetch a Vigilant, which turned out to be me. Mr. Vascatos, he¡¯s some sort of noble. He ran off before we arrived, the other servants said he had business to attend to and that he left his name with them. So we don¡¯t have much, just that he came in this morning, then left in a hurry.¡± The guard pulled a piece of parchment out of his satchel and handed it to Alex. ¡°I¡¯ve got his name and address there for you. Servants didn¡¯t have much else to say, other than that the senator,¡± here he pointed inside to the mutilated body on the bed, ¡°seemed troubled the past few days. Hadn¡¯t been sleeping well, seemed upset. Servants just figured he was dealing with some important senate business, that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, alright. Not much to go on there, but we¡¯ll have to question this Mr. Vascatos. The senator¡¯s name is Dimitrios Barelis, correct?¡±


    ¡°That it is, sir. I don¡¯t much follow politics, but he¡¯s clearly a known person. Could be he¡¯s made an enemy or two.¡±


    Ezita jumped into the conversation, looking at Alex. ¡°Do you know who he was? I read a little about the city before arriving here, I understand these senators form some sort of governing body in the city, yes?¡±


    Alex considered for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to explain the local politics to an outsider. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit complicated. Yes, the senators rule the city, fifty of them; they make the laws, and they hold court to cast judgment when necessary as well. But a couple of months ago, the Princeps, the chief senator¡ªperson by the name of Violeta Lazili, a silk merchant who gained a seat in the Senate¡ªthey managed to push through some laws that meant all new legislation had to be put before the people. The common folk, I mean. Any citizen now can come to the Solus to vote on whether a propositus becomes law.¡±


    ¡°I see. That seems¡­inefficient.¡± Ezita compared these ideas to the politics of Kor-Tur. A mageocracy, ruled by the top wizards of each discipline, certainly led to heated debates and endless council meetings to make rulings. One grandmaster nursing a grudge or waking up on the wrong side of the bed could draw out a decision for weeks. But allowing everyone to express their opinion? How would anything get done? ¡°But okay, so the commoners have recently gained some measure of power. I would presume some of the nobility, or individuals invested in the previous order of things, might not particularly appreciate that change. Any idea of where this Senator Barelis stood on the matter?¡±


    Alex shrugged. ¡°No idea. I suppose we¡¯ll have to ask around and find out.¡± He paused and looked back to the sickening scene by the bed. ¡°But first, I suppose we should examine the body more closely.¡±


    As the Vigilant returned to his post, the two investigators slowly walked deeper into the bedroom, toward the large bed. The quilted covers were richly coloured and ornate, with motifs of flowers and sheaves of wheat, and the mahogany frame of the bed was finely crafted with intricate flourishes. Now they all were decorated with the red-brown spots of dried blood as well. Alex noted no evidence of entrance or egress¡ªthere was no blood away from the immediate scene that might have dripped off a weapon as an attacker fled, no forced door, no broken window. The window, indeed, was shut and barred from the inside. As he noted these characteristics, he spoke his thoughts out loud, half to Ezita, and half to himself.


    Moving closer toward the body, he noted that the deceased was dressed in nightclothes, ready for bed, yet his body was laying on top of the blankets. There were also some possible signs of distress with the way the body was positioned¡ªone leg partially bent at the knee and slumped inward over the other leg, both hands extended upward toward the head. ¡°Hmm, see this? He was laying in bed, but not under the covers, and the angle of the legs here doesn¡¯t seem particularly comfortable for sleeping. Doesn¡¯t seem like he was sleeping. But the blood here is pooled on the bed, around the corpse, so to me that says he was lying down at the moment of death¡ªnot killed and then laid down afterward.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so he was not asleep, but he stayed lying down as the attacker came in?¡± Ezita wondered aloud.


    ¡°Evidently. The mode of entry was not the window, so perhaps he knew the attacker. Or perhaps the culprit was also lying beside him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think not.¡± Ezita circled around to the far side of the bed. ¡°Look at the blanket¡ªif there had been someone else here, they would have left an impression, but the covers are smooth and flat on this side of the bed.¡±


    Alex looked at his colleague, then nodded in agreement. ¡°Yep, I think you¡¯re right. Hey, not bad for your first crime scene. Alright, so we have blood on the walls, and uhh, on the ceiling as well. Wow.¡± He knelt beside the bed carefully, trying not to disturb the scene. ¡°I¡¯m also seeing bits of flesh and bone down here on the floor. Whoever did this really made a mess. I¡¯m thinking it could maybe be a hammer, or something blunt like that¡ªcould explain the extensive damage to the head. But a hammer wouldn¡¯t typically leave blood dripping from the ceiling. The blood would splatter outward from the impact, not so much upward. What do you think¡ªany magical spell that could do this?¡±


    Ezita smiled quizzically. ¡°Oh undoubtedly. There are spells that can do most anything you could think of, and several more that you could not. But most of these are tightly guarded secrets, highly advanced magics that would be known only by the most powerful of grandmasters. There is little chance such a spell would have been used here. No, most simple spells are manipulations of elemental vitalities¡ªshaping water or fire, for example, or perhaps creating electrical energies. And these are usually directed. One does not mash a person¡¯s head to pulp by shooting a spark of lightning or a bolt of fire.¡±


    Alex raised an eyebrow. ¡°So¡­is that a no, then?¡±


    She tilted her head and thought for a moment. ¡°It would seem to me that the question is not whether it was a magical spell, but whether it was a magical effect of any kind. In this case, the blood and¡­other physical matter, has been directed outward. That would suggest to me that the origin point was inside¡ªperhaps something swallowed, or injected inside by stabbing. A piece of food, perhaps, could conceivably have been enchanted to produce some blast of outward force.¡±


    Alex looked even more incredulous. ¡°You¡¯re suggesting this was something he ate? I¡¯ve had bad seafood before, but¡­¡±


    Ezita just rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, so something from the inside. But given the position of the body, food seems unlikely to me. People don¡¯t typically eat while fully lying down quite like that, head on the pillow ready for bed. I¡¯d expect he¡¯d be partially reclined at least. But¡­alright, it¡¯s a start.¡±

 Chapter 3

    It took them the rest of the day to conduct interviews. Speaking further with the servants of the household provided few additional clues. Senator Barelis had taken dinner, though had eaten very little, then he had retired early for the night and asked not to be disturbed. He had taken no other visitors during the night. Thus, it was only when the Senator Vascatos had arrived in the morning and called on Barelis that his body was found.


    The servants noted that Vascatos was a frequent visitor, as the two senators were friends and close confidantes. With further questioning, it became clear that the two men were often at each other¡¯s houses late into the night. Alexandros took note of the servants¡¯ tact in these statements¡ªalthough they never stated it as such, Alex surmised that the two were likely lovers. There were no laws against such things in Eletheia, nor was the public sentiment toward same-sex relationships particularly negative. Relationships flourished in many forms within the great city. But people with power often had reasons to be discreet regarding their relationships. Any information could be used as leverage, and knowledge of two senators in a relationship with each other could lead to accusations of bias or collusion, under the right circumstances. Such was the life of politics.


    Alex and Ezita next made their way to the Solus, the legislative building in the very heart of the city. The grand building itself was old, dating back close to the founding of the city itself. Alex had some vague recollection of hearing it was once a temple or somesuch, but nowadays it was the place where laws were born and where they died. The building was grandiose, elaborately constructed with great granite columns adorning the peaked facade, and extending upward to a great terracotta dome. Around the sides and back of the Solus were well-kept gardens, with bushes and flowers that framed the ancient architecture with greenery and coloration.


    In front of the edifice was a large open cobblestone square, which in more recent days had become the location where the democratic assemblies took place. As the two investigators approached the area, they witnessed a small crowd gathered in the square, loosely grouped in front of a short, balding man who was standing atop a box-crate to remain visible. This clerk was disinterestedly reading out the text of a propositus from a parchment scroll, speaking in a monotone voice that was barely audible above the hum of the gathering. Beside him, a senator stood smiling, dressed in the white toga worn by all senators during the course of their official duties. Ezita overheard the clerk saying something about taxes on imported chickens. From within the relative anonymity of the crowd, a voice shouted out, ¡°That¡¯s right, the senators want us to rely on them, they¡¯re our own local chickens!¡± A few chuckles rang out from the congregation; then another piped up, ¡°More like cocks, you mean!¡± which elicited a few whooping cheers. As the comments rang out, the smile on the senator¡¯s face dropped into a frown. The clerk stopped reciting for a moment, looking up over the paper at the crowd; then he sighed and kept reading.


    Before he could finish another sentence, another voice called out, ¡°When are we goin¡¯ ta get another feast day, anyway? They cancelled the solstice feast on us, when are we gettin¡¯ another one?¡± This elicited much approval from the crowd. Then another: ¡°Yeah, you bastards owe us one! And all this talk of chicken is getting me hungry for a feast!¡± Several more commoners from the gathered throng began chiming in with more comments, as both clerk and senator began to look more exasperated.


    At this point, Ezita looked over at Alex with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Is this always how the process goes?¡±


    Alex chuckled and shrugged. ¡°Beats me¡ªI don¡¯t normally come to these things. I don¡¯t really have strong opinions about chicken.¡±


    The senator, clad in white, raised his voice above the crowd at this point. He looked visibly angry, perhaps with a tinge of apprehension. ¡°People, hush now! We are here to decide about import taxes, not blather on about feasts! Clerk, hurry up and call for the vote and get this over with.¡±


    With the crowd still murmuring, the clerk called for Yeas and Nays in turn¡ªto which the opposition greatly outweighed the assent. ¡°The Nays have it; the propositus has not been ratified and will be returned to the Senate.¡± The clerk made a note at the bottom of the parchment scroll, then as quickly as he could, he stepped off the box-crate, picked it up, and both he and the senator walked back into the Solus. The buzz of the restive crowd increased in volume until the commoners began to disperse.


    Here, in the square, the unwashed masses now had the right to shout their Yeas and Nays to voice their will. Yet, inside the building the nobility still clung to their power¡ªthe seat of the Senate, which retained its authority as the author and creator of the laws, even if now those decrees had to be presented before the Demos, the common people, for approval. With the system still in its infancy, not a soul within the city truly could be said to know what changes in the shape or power of the Senate would manifest over the next few years. But for now, with a great shift in power, the politics of the city stood precariously on the knife¡¯s edge.


    * * *


    ¡°I fear that you may not appreciate the gravity of this situation for us, noble Senators. Kyrenos relies heavily on its exports of silks and other textiles, and piracy of these goods upon the open sea means food taken from the mouths of our people.¡± Lia Costantinalli paused for a moment to let the emotional appeal sink in. She stood before a small committee of senators of Eletheia, with whom she was now trying to negotiate a delicate dispute. As ambassador for her native city of Kyrenos, however, negotiation was what she did best.


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    Both cities shared the same waters, each situated in the region of Pyrith, on the edge of the peninsula which jutted out into the great Salacian Sea. They shared a language, many customs and fashions, and ways of living. And yet, their proximity did not always lead to friendship. Eletheia, ruled by its senators¡ªand now also its citizens¡ªhad occasionally clashed with Kyrenos, ruled by King Titos Marinakos. The ambassador often needed to resolve issues of politics and trade, with Eletheia as well as the other cities in the region. In most cases, the issues were minor, resolved with some gestures of goodwill. But Costantinalli knew that this time might be a real challenge.


    Senator Petras leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees. ¡°We extend our sympathies to your people, robbed of their food, but what has this to do with our city? Are you here requesting charitable aid?¡±


    Costantinalli extended a hand outward, gracefully but precisely, and gave a slight bow. ¡°No, dear senator, that is not why I am here. Indeed, I have received credible information that stolen Kyrenian silks appeared for sale in Eletheian shops shortly after the ship they were on was intercepted by pirates, not far off the coast around this great city. I can produce a witness to this information if desired.¡±


    Upon Costantinalli¡¯s words, the senators began to murmur their discontent. ¡°That is outrageous! You dare to accuse our city for your merchants¡¯ loss of goods?¡± Senator Miskouli stood up and wagged a disapproving finger at the ambassador. ¡°Of course our merchants sell Kyrenian silks¡ªbut you can¡¯t possibly prove that those silks were stolen! We are no safe haven for pirates!¡± Several of the other senators nodded their approval.


    Here Senator Vascatos spoke up. His arms were crossed, and he squinted at Costantinalli as she clasped her hands. ¡°It seems mighty convenient that you come to us at just such a time with these accusatory words. There are pirates on the seas, of course; of this no one can dispute. That is why most trade merchants take precautions; they arm themselves and their crew, they insure themselves against damages. But now, suddenly, you come to us to demand that we deal with a ¡®piracy problem,¡¯ a problem which has existed for as long as ships have sailed the seas¡ªand meanwhile, while you come to us with deference and geniality, Kyrenos tries to push through their own grain shipments that put gold in their own coffers and undercut our farmers¡¯ livelihoods! Food taken from the mouths of your people, indeed! Perhaps if you didn¡¯t insist on exporting so much of it to send our farmers into pover¡ª¡±


    At this moment an aide, having quietly hurried in, had grasped Vascatos¡¯ shoulder and whispered into his ear. He cut his words short, and his face changed to a look of apprehension for a moment, before he caught himself. He looked around the room, nodding at the ambassador and the senators. ¡°Excuse me; I have been called out on pressing matters. I¡¯m afraid I must leave the rest of you to address this concern for the moment.¡±


    * * *


    It had taken the two investigators, navigating the twisting side passageways of the Solus, nearly twenty minutes to find Senator Vascatos. Each senator had their own offices within the legislative labyrinth, but Vascatos was not in his. In the end, they had to ask several senatorial aides and clerks to find his whereabouts, until one finally went to retrieve him from the meeting of the select committee on trade.


    When he arrived, he guided them back toward his office, to a small and quiet library within, and began unprompted to describe what had happened that morning¡ªhe arrived at the house, went into the bedroom to greet his friend Barelis, and was horrified at the sight that greeted him. He told the servants to call for the Vigil, and then he came straight to the Solus, as he had important matters that could not wait.


    Vascatos himself was a handsome, middle-aged man, with brown hair and eyes that complemented his olive complexion. Ordinarily, his hair was carefully coiffed, but today it was ruffled, a little out of sorts. His white toga looked as though it had been hastily arranged. Ezita noticed a slight tremble in the man¡¯s hand as he spoke, and frequent fidgeting with the ring on his hand, gold with a sizable garnet gemstone.


    ¡°And these important matters¡ªthey were more important than helping us catch the person who murdered your friend?¡± Alex narrowed his eyes as he questioned the senator, looking for a clue into his state of mind.


    ¡°Well, of course! My senatorial duties do not wait; I had a trade committee meeting, hearing an ambassador of Kyrenos. These are delicate affairs, you see.¡± Vascatos looked down for a moment; then his face softened. ¡°And, well¡­to tell the truth, seeing Dimitrios¡ªSenator Barelis, that is¡ªlike that, it was¡­it was horrible. I could scarcely breathe, I had to get out of there. I suppose, now that I think of it, I could have missed today¡¯s meeting, but, well¡­it was a good excuse to take my mind off the whole situation.¡±


    Alex nodded sympathetically. ¡°Well, we are trying to do everything we can to discover what happened. The more information we have, and the sooner we get it, the better. Now, tell me, did Mr. Barelis have any enemies?¡±


    At this, Vascatos snorted with a wry chuckle. ¡°Of course! He is a politician! We all have our enemies.¡± Alex clarified that he meant enemies who would be willing to kill. At this, Vascatos¡¯s face grew very serious, and he exhaled deeply as he chose his next words carefully.


    ¡°Senator Barelis was not in agreement with the changes that Princeps Lazili forced upon our government, nor was I. Lazili pushed sweeping changes through, using every underhanded method in the book to bring about their vision. Our Senate is meant to be a venerated institution, a place where people with experience and prudence discuss the important matters to guide our city¡ªand now Lazili has turned it into a circus where anyone off the street can toss their opinions around! Barelis and I were outspoken about our disagreement with this.


    ¡°But,¡± and here his voice turned to a whisper as he leaned in conspiratorially, ¡°this has made us many enemies among the common people. Some resent our perspectives on the matter; they think that they should be allowed to decide on laws by simply standing on a box in the public square and yelling loudly enough. Or if necessary, by taking up arms. I am concerned that my friend Dimitrios was a victim to someone who was willing to take such matters to the extreme. And I am concerned that I may be next.¡±