Penny, to his credit, fixed his gaze on Levitt as if his brother wasn’t even in the room. He briefly dipped his head in acknowledgment of the Right Hand as I’d instructed.
“Lev,” I said, turning my attention back to the Right Hand, “this is Penny, my recruit.”
Levitt grinned and glanced back at Merrick, whose expression had smoothed. “That’s funny. Merrick, didn’t you used to have a farmhand by that name?”
The comment chafed me. To reduce Penny, who was by rights the sole owner of the family property, to the role of a hired hand was a deliberate blow to the younger Oliver’s status. It was a way to demean him even when he wasn’t around to hear it. Even Violette had commented onthe supposed farm hand, which meant Merrick hadn’t even toldherthe truth.
Merrick nodded. “I did, and he was quite inept.” He fixed Penny with a withering look. “I hope this recruit proves more capable.”
It struck me as strange that Merrick continued to avoid telling Levitt who Penny actually was. It would come out eventually, and Levitt was savvy enough that he’d notice their resemblance before too long.
“I wouldn’t have brought him in if he wasn’t capable.” I failed to keep the sharp edge out of my voice.
Levitt gave Merrick a dismissive wave. “I trust your judgment, Kit. Don’t mind Merrick; he’s always a little sour.” Levitt turned an easy smile on Penny and folded his left hand over the stump of his right wrist. “Now, Penny, I have to ask you some questions. It’s only a formality and, so far as I’m concerned, it’s enough that Kit vouches for you. But Merrick is a stickler for the rules, so bear with me.”
Penny tipped his shoulders back, putting on that air of confidence we’d rehearsed over breakfast. I was proud of how well he was handling all of this, especially considering the scathing glare Merrick had focused on him.
“First things first,” Levitt began, “what do you know of Eeus?”
“He is Paneus’s opposite,” Penny replied. “He rules over scarcity and suffering, famine and blight. He is the dark after the light and the architect of community.” The words spilled out, practiced, perfect, and somehow chilling. He barely paused for breath before continuing. “He teaches us to rely on each other and work together to eke out a life worth living where suffering is embraced instead of avoided.”
Levitt grinned. “Excellent. And why do you aspire to join our order? Why now?”
Penny dashed a glance at me before returning his attention to the Right Hand. “I’ve worshipped Eeus for years in secret. My family wouldn’t have approved. But he has called me to community, and it’s time to prove my commitment to him. With my father gone, there’s nothing to stop me anymore.”
Levitt nodded my way. “I see why you picked him, Kit. You two have a lot in common.”
I forced a smile, trying not to betray how sick this whole situation made me. Even after having heard Penny rehearse these things over and over for the last hour, it still made my stomach churn.
“He’s a good fit,” I said. “Exactly what I was looking for.”
Levitt returned his attention to Penny, who remained stiff-backed and alert.
“I’m told you are pledging yourself to our cause to contribute in practical ways. Eeus accepts all, and we understand that we could not exist as an organization without laypeople to help keep Ashpoint running. However, should you choose to pursue initiation in the future, you must be prepared to undertake the Oaths to prove your dedication to Eeus,” Levitt said. “They are as brutal and dangerous as he is, and they will lay bare every part of you. Eeus demands everything of us, sometimes even our lives. Are you prepared to face that?”
Penny’s voice didn’t waver. “I am prepared to give whatever is required.”
A breath hissed between my teeth while Levitt bobbed his head, clearly pleased with Penny’s preparedness. “Everyone here contributes,” he said. “We function incommunity as Eeus commands, so all must pull their weight. What skills do you offer our cause?”
Merrick pushed off the edge of the desk. “You skipped three questions, Your Eminence,” he said.
Levitt turned an irritated look on his Shroud Warden. “Merrick, I conceded to your requirement that I pose questions to the recruit,” he said, the warmth gone from his tone. “I didnotconcede to waste time by asking all of them.”
Merrick’s lip curled. “All due respect, Your Eminence, but you’re taking quite a bit on faith here simply because Mister Koesters is the one who brought this man in. Mister Koesters, who deserted his post thirteen years ago. Such treachery should be punished, not rewarded.”
“Enough,” Levitt snapped. “Thirteen years ago, this man”—he gestured to me—“had more devotion than most can claim. Certainly more than you.”
Merrick’s mouth hung open in shock as Levitt continued.
“Kit had devotion enough to walk away when Vaughn twisted Eeus’s commands and set us down the same path that led to the Judgment.” Levitt gestured to the town beyond the wall of windows. “We were only too lucky that Eeus took his anger out on Vaughn alone and not the rest of us. Kit should be commended for being the only one of us brave enough to take a stand against the human sacrifices.”
It was jarring to hear someone defend my escape, especially for mostly the wrong reasons. More than that, it was strange to see soft-spoken Levitt so stern. I’d wondered how someone as gentle as I remembered him to be had become the Right Hand. Clearly, there was a side to him that emerged after I left.
The Oaths changed everyone. Maybe that’s how they changed him.
He turned back to Penny, and his gentle smile returned. “Now, as I asked before, what skills do you have to offer?”
Penny swallowed hard. “I own a farm. I pledge it and all it produces to Eeus and to the people here.”
