Chuey came up beside me. “That was a dicey move with the shield,” I said. “Yeah, probably.” He ran a hand over his buzz cut. “But I figured it was essentially light, you know. Law of reflection says I could change the angle of incidence. Anyway, it worked.”
“Hell of a light show.” I tapped his chest. “Thanks.”
“De nada, man. I just can’t believe they killed Bolan and Faithfull.” Chuey shook his head. “It ain’t right.”
Cassius came up beside Chuey and took his hand in a forearm grip. “Best use of a shield I have ever seen.”
The Bian Lian woman was standing at a distance, watching us. I’d almost forgotten about her. She started our way.
Semblances began returning to the alley, wandering through the debris and ash. Fire still licked up the brick walls on both sides of us, but with each returning semblance the flames receded and the solidity of the buildings was restored—though somewhat less bright than before.
The Bian Lian woman drew closer, weaving through the bodies, her catalysts put away.
A few semblances made their way toward us to shake our hands and say thank you, but I was too numbed to say anything coherent in return. The Bian Lian woman, her face now a kaleidoscope of blue and gold, finally stopped in front of me. “Let’s find someplace to speak in private.”
It was Emaline’s voice. “I have information for you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
As an esteemed member of the Royal Geographic Society, I appeal to the Convocation to expand Precedent Law to criminalize the pillaging of the Strata by topside thanatists as well as the reshaping of the Strata by the world above via their flawed neo-historic interpretations of our lives and times.
—Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, chancellor, Victorian Stratum, motion submitted
Inside the ModernStratum’s Iron Horse, Humble Pie was still ripping their set, now playing “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” People were up and jiving next to their tables. I led Emaline backstage to the greenroom, which was luckily empty. Its walls on this stratum still had photos, but also broadside announcements for vaudeville shows over fading stripped wallpaper. Still had the grimy old couch, thankfully. I dropped onto it; Emaline sat next to me and removed her mask.
I figured I’d get the bad news out of the way first. “I couldn’t get the killer’s body and bindings. A thanatist named Bazalgette beat me to it.”
“I know,” she said. “I was monitoring Shiguan body recovery calls.” “But unlike the attack in the alley, this Bazalgette didn’t seem to have any interest in taking me,” I told her. “And Swan’s only interest was buying me off or forcing me to stand trial.”
“The trial was my idea,” she said.
“What?” It was one more thing I wasn’t sure I could handle.
She held up a hand to calm me. “We needed a pretext for convening the Strata Chancery to hold Brach accountable. And having him take the offensive averts any countermeasures he might have taken wereyouto have summonedhim.”
“So, then, I’m not really on trial?”
“The trial is very real. And quite serious. Powerful men and women from all eras—Grace O’Malley, Boudica, Captain Burton, and others—will try to break you down. They always presume the accused is actually guilty. To exonerate you, we’ll need to convict Brach, and we have just two days to do so.”
“You could have talked to me before you put me on trial for murder.” “Brach would have called the trial anyway. He was only waiting to be sure he’d destroyed all evidence of his involvement.”
“Church was confused about why the trial is being conducted by the Strata Chancery instead of the Convocation of Schisms. That your doing, too?” She nodded. “It’s not uncommon for the Convocation to empower the chancery to prosecute first-time offenses, especially against new thanatists, and especially when the outcome may have a direct impact on the Strata itself. Even when the Convocation conducts a trial, they usually solicit chancery input. And schism leaders might still attend your trial, but since Henry wasn’t a schism member, they know you’ll have nominal support and are likely to be convicted.”
“The news just keeps getting better. And this was your idea?”
“You’d have had the same amount of support if the Convocation had conducted the trial, and this way there’s no option to call for Shiguan anathemetization, should you win.”
I got it. “Because the chancery has no authority to expand the trial to look at other Precedent crimes.”
“As I said, I need to have an eye toward life after Brach. I don’t believe the Shiguan are irredeemable, just victims of poor leadership.”
“What’s the Strata Chancery’s job when it’s not conducting Convocation business? Any chance they might be more lenient?—”
Emaline held up a hand. “The chancery is composed of historical figures out of London’s past, Jack. People who, in many instances, care and look after the Strata more than most schisms do these days. And they revered Henry for helping them protect the Strata through his steward-ship of the Steps. They’ll want to see his killer answer for his death.”
Made sense. “So, now Brach will use the chancery to accuse me of killing Henry to prevent me from restoring the ward.”
“Which is why we need to find new evidence to convict him, to save you and the Iron Horse, and avert Brach’s war rising from the Strata.”
