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‘Those islands are uninhabited,’ Bralston ets ed from there,’ Massol replied ‘Stories of lizardmen, purple women …’ He waved a hand ‘Madness’
‘Not that the thought of seeking them out didn’t cross our rin ‘Purple wo of curious mind and healthy appetite, would be hard-pressed not to wonder if they are purple all over or--’
‘I believe it is time to hear fro his hand He shifted his seat, turning a scrutinising gaze upon the woman ‘Repeat your story for the benefit of Librarian Bralston’
Her sole reply was to bend her neck even lower, turning her face eventogether, knees drawing up to her chest, as though she sought to continue collapsing inward until there was nothing left but an erow into a vast trench across his face He had seen these wo, seen the and going in Anacha’s place of e women whose parents found no other way out of the debt they had incurred, girls snatched from the desert and clad in silk thatescorted to their new roo clients, the lanterns low as to hide the tears on their faces
Often, he had wondered if Anacha had cried the Always, he wondered if she still did
And this woman had no tears left Wherever she had come from bore the stains of her tears, bled out from her body Violently, he concluded, if the bruises on her face were any indication He slid down to one knee before her, as he ht a puppy, and strained to look into her face, to convey to her that all would be well, that the places of laere havens safe from violence and from barbarism, that she would have all the tiain
Lector Annis did not share the same senti with an echo usually reserved for invocations He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers to suggest that he did not make requests
‘I was …’ she squeaked at first through a voice that crawled timidly from her throat ‘I was ato Cier’Djaal We were passing through the Buradan two et interesting,’ the Crags
‘Silence, please,’ Bralston snapped
‘We were … ere attacked,’ she continued, her breath growing short ‘Black boats swept over the sea, rowed by purple women clad in black armour They boarded, dreords, killed the men, killed everyone but me’ Her stare was distant as her mind drifted back over the sea ‘We were … I was taken with the cargo
‘There was an island I don’t re the boats while the purple women whipped them Those that fell dead and bloodied, they were … they were fed to …’
Her face began to twitch, the agony and fear straining to escape through a face that had hardened to the into her ripped skirt as though she sought to dig into herself and vanish froazes locked upon her
She’s terrified, the Librarian thought, clearly Do so Postpone this inquisition You’re sworn to uphold the law, not be a callous and cruel piece of--
‘The important part, please,’ Lector Annis muttered, his breath laced with impatient heat
‘I was taken to the back of a cavern,’ the wo to harden herself to both the memory and the Lector ‘There were two other wo, but she never even looked up We were both taken to a bed where aa crown of thorns upon his head with red stones affixed to it He laid an to quiver, the pain finally too much to conceal Despite the Lector’s deliberately loud and exasperated sigh, she chewed her lower lip until blood began to for failed to fold in on herself, having failed to dig into herself, she began to tremble herself to pieces
Bralston lowered hi into her eyes as ht better of it, not daring to touch such a fragile creature for fear she ht break Instead, he spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper
As he had spoken to Anacha, when she had trerasp, when she had shed tears into his lap
‘Tell us only e need,’ he said gently ‘Leave the pain behind for now We don’t need it What we need’ – he leaned closer to her, his voice going lower – ‘is to stop this man’
The woman looked up at hiht have offered a smile, an embrace for her For now, he returned her resolute nod with one of his own
‘When the other woman wouldn’t scream anymore,’ the female continued, ‘when she wouldn’t cry, the man burned her’ She winced ‘Alive’ She paused to wipe away tears ‘I’d seen ic before, seen wizards use it But they aleak afterward, drained This man …’
‘Was not,’ the Lector finished for her ‘She witnessed several similar instances from this man and three others on the island None of theift’
And this couldn’t have been sent in a letter? Discussed in private? Bralston felt his ire boil in his throat We had to drag this poor thing here to relive this? He rose and opened his mouth to voice such concerns, but quickly clalare upon hihts, Librarian’
‘I’ve never heard of anything purple with two legs,’ Bralston contented hiic, however, our duty is clear’
‘Agreed,’ Annis replied, nodding stiffly ‘Negating the physical cost of reatest heresy You are to ements swiftly and report to our sister school in Port Destiny You can find there--’
A ragged cough broke the silence Lector and Librarian craned their gazes toward the grinning Cragsman, their ire etched into their frowns
‘Pardon us for not living up to your expectations of noble and self-sacrificinga hasty attempt at a bow ‘But a man must live by the laws his fellows put down, and ere told that gents of your particular calling offered no inconsequential su to your peculiar faith and--’
‘You want money,’ Bralston interrupted ‘A bounty’
‘I would not take money from faithless hands,’ the Djaalestured to Shunnuk
Bralston arched a brow, certain there was a deeper insult there ‘A report of this nature carries the weight of ten gold coins, typical for inforenerous su the floor with the eager fury of his bow ‘Assuredly, ill spend it ith your honour into enhance the lustre of the moment’
‘Very well, then’ The Lector hastily scribbled so out on a piece of parch hands ‘Present this to the clerk at the front’