I sighed. Here comes the revelation—Tekhan is heartless, but only when investigating criminals. Would Tor'rien see the distinction? Did it matter? No, it couldn't. I wouldn't let it.
Squaring my shoulders, I said, “I believe Katai might be a clue.”
“How so?”
“I think he's hiding something.”
“He almost died today, Tekhan.” Then the King's expression went slack. “Oh. I see.”
“Do you?” I asked.
“Hallaxgral is targeting villains. Criminals.” He motioned at the bodies. Well, body parts. “So, Katai is either special or a criminal as well. By that reasoning, the Chelli and Brujai may also be criminals.”
I let out the breath I'd been holding. “Yes, precisely. The Chelli and Brujai are dead, so I can't question them. I need to speak to Katai. But I don't think your knight will allow me to interrogate him.”
“Ah, but as you said, he ismyknight. He will obey me. If I say you will question Katai, Vasren will have no choice in the matter.”
“Very well.”
“Are you done here? I believe Gilhu knows where Vasren took his lover.”
“You want to go there now?”
“Don't you?”
I considered it. “No. Let's look into the companies that distribute kurline first.”
“You expect to find a connection between Katai and the kurline.”
“I have learned not to expect anything. With this adversary, it is especially true. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised to find a connection and such a discovery would aid in my interrogation.”
The King grinned. “Dear Gods, you're brilliant.”
“Unfortunately, so is our adversary, Your Majesty.”
“Claw Shinkai!” a talon came running into the courtyard, then stopped short, and gaped at the slaughter. “Oh, fuck.”
“Yes?” I went to stand in front of him and block his view.
He refocused on me and cleared his throat as he handed me a report. “Uh, the Chief sent me to find you. He wanted you to know that the bomb found at the paper factory has been dissected.”
“The bomb?” I lifted my brows. “Let me guess—it was kurline based.”
The talon gaped at me.
“I'll take that as a yes.” I turned to grimace at the King.
Chapter Twenty-Three
We didn't have to waste time investigating the two companies. We determined which one sold the kurline before we left the prison. Not due to any great deductive skills on my part or even because someone came forward and admitted it. It was something far more simple.
Kurline is a dangerous substance, but it also has its uses. So, distribution was allowed but was also carefully monitored. Not only did you need a license from the King to purchase the stuff, but each distributor was also required to tint their product so that it could be traced back to them, should they disregard the law. With only residue left on the prison bomb, I could have discounted the tint as corrupted by the explosion even though it appeared blue. But the report on the paper factory bomb confirmed the kurline used in that bomb—undisturbed kurline in a glass vial—was tinted blue. Heilin Merchants sold blue kurline.
Even a child could have figured out that they were the source.
I didn't like that—the ease of it. It didn't fit the game.
“I swear to you, Your Majesty, no one in my company sold kurline to someone without a license. We document all our sales.” He slid a log book across his desk to us. “See for yourself.You can cross reference my log with the amount of kurline left in the warehouse and you find that every ounce is accounted for.”
