“Master Tyler,” said Emaline, “with my father under censure, I claim leadership of the Shiguan. Having the full support of my kin, any future matters or concerns pertaining to Shiguan defense of the Strata may be addressed directly to me.”
Tyler nodded. “Very well. But take care to tread a straighter path, else the Chancery may have nought but to recommend anathema inquiries to the Convocation.” He raised a fist. “We are adjourned until?—”
“Wait!” I’d been so overwhelmed by the trial and Cassius’s dismissal that I’d almost forgotten. “Can you help us renew the ward?”
“The chancery has discussed this problem many times,” said Caswallawn, “but there is no Precedent Law against unfettered access to the Abyssal Steps. If, on the other hand, the Steps are used to abuse Precedent, please apprise the chancery.” Then softly he said to me, “You have my sympathy.”
Tyler slammed his fist down. “We are adjourned.”
As the galleries started to empty, I rushed around the table to Emaline. “Brach has recovery teams set to descend on the ward?—”
“I’ll send word for them to stand down.”
Emaline dashed out the exit at the south end of the hall. The Strata chancellors began to return to their strata through their illuminated tapestries. My friends came inside the octagon to join Church and me.
“They were never going to help, were they?” I asked.
Church heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry, lad.”
Lakshmi surveyed the room. “You stifled their rebellion, Jack. I would never have thought it possible.”
“You got justice for Henry,” Lady added.
And Emaline escaped Brach, I reminded myself.
“Count your blessings, man.” Chuey clapped my back and started to sing. “You could have wound up the man in the box. Buried in your?—”
I smacked his chest. His voice was still terrible.
“The Ward is nearly dead.” I stared at the little khopesh in my hand. “How will we defend the Horse and its people when she’s gone? Not to mention all the resentment in the Strata for our world.”
“It isn’tallthe Strata,” Kincaid reminded me.
“I know,” I said, “but it only takes one. And they’ll have access to the Steps.” Everyone at the Iron Horse needed to know what was about to happen.
So, exhausted as hell, my friends and I left Westminster Hall and headed back to the place where it all started.
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
Any spirit—semblance, soul, or wraith—that finds itself upon the Asphodel Meadows inherits the quality andreward of a soul, be it to them a blessing or a curse.
—FromVerities of the Dispossessed
My friendsand I turned the corner onto the road of the small medieval Iron Horse church. Shiguan crews crowded the muddy street. Thanatists had used bond threads to make vestiges look like topsiders. Some stood in groups, rehearsing snatches of dialogue. Others were studying music charts. Still others were readying weapons and nets and consulting topside maps and photographs. On both sides of the road, violists were playing haunting songs using Brach’s seventeen-note scale.
I pushed through to the church doors and turned to face the crowd. “Brach’s been boxed,” I called. “His urn-bearer, Emaline, is in charge now. It’s over. Go home.”
A few vestiges looked my way, sneered, and went back to their preparations. I pulled my knife, expecting some resistancemaking a path for my friends, but no one tried to stop us, and we slipped by into the nave.
Thanatist crews packed the place from wall to wall. The pews had been busted into kindling and paintings ripped down. “This is a desecration,” Kincaid muttered.
The floor was covered in white scorch marks. “They fought back,” Lakshmi observed.
A few surviving congregants—members of the choir—stood pinned against the apse by Shiguan crews. Church caught my arm and pointed toward the door to the Abyssal Steps. It was open. It hit me then—we hadn’t yet passed through the ward’s protection.
“Jack,” said Lady, “if the barrier has receded this far, you can be sure the Shiguan have started down to try and take the Ward’s song. They don’t know the revolution’s over.”
I yelled out over the crowd, “Brach lost his trial. He wants you to stand down. It’s over.”
