I shake my head, remembering the anointer’s reluctance to speak at court. At least Anointer Nunias had some conviction. He was a smug, superior asshole, but hebelievedin his superiority.
“Sophos said Caledon has been less trusting of his senior clerics recently,” I suggest to Alastor. “Maybe he wanted someone he knew he could control in this post. That’s got to be more important to him than competence right now.”
We’ve been ignoring the anointer throughout this, but I look at him now.
“Robik, we’re going to ask you some questions about Caledon’s activities, and you’re going to tell us what you know.”
“I don’t know anything!” he blurts out. “Really, I swear.”
I sigh. “You disappoint me, Robik. Because you see, we’ve already spoken to General Becane. He says that Oclanna gave Caledon control of his units. That he didn’t even know wherethey were half the time, so he had no idea they were searching for the tokens. It’s made his job very difficult. Then we spoke to Jocor Rosier.”
I take a step closer to the bars, making sure the anointer can see my steely gaze. “He wasn’t much use either. Aside from admitting to burning down the queen’s childhood home and all the grisly murders he organized,heclaims that most of his and Oclanna’s guidance came from the Temple through their personal cleric. That’s you, Robik.”
Robik’s cap is almost in tatters now as he shakes his head. “No. No it’s not true. I?—”
“Alastor, would you do the honors?” I ask, cutting off the cleric’s begging.
Magic fizzes through the cell, Robik’s face slipping into an easy smile.
“What was Caledon using the royal armies for?” Alastor asks.
“To search for the tokens of Ethira.”
“Did they know that’s what they were searching for?”
“Sometimes. The soldiers were never the ones holding all the information. The Grand Bearer tried to keep them in the dark as much as possible.”
“How?”
“They were instructed day-to-day by a handful of clerics under the direct guidance of Caledon. Not even the bearers knew the details about their movements.”
“Butyouknew them?” Alastor asks.
Robik shakes his head. “No. Not much. Especially not after they found the bow, the Grand Bearer?—”
“He’s found the bow of Ethira?” I demand, my blood running cold.
Robik says nothing, his face still placid.
“Ihave to ask the questions,” Alastor reminds me, turning back to the anointer. “Has Caledon found the bow of Ethira?”
“Yes,” Robik says, and Alastor and I share a grim look.
“What about the cup?” Alastor asks, urgency in his voice. “Has he found that?”
“I don’t know,” Robik says. “The Grand Bearer hasn’t been communicating with me much since he found the bow. I’m not even sure if he knows where the cup is.”
“We need to speak to Ana,” I tell Alastor. “This changes things.”
We leave Robik behind in the dungeon and hurry back up to the council’s meeting chamber. She hasn’t yet checked in with me despite the flare of discomfort that just ran through me. She must be distracted. But this can’t wait.
“How’s it going?”I ask through the mooring as Alastor and I wait outside the chamber door.
“Not good.They’re arguing about whether we should ask Caledon to step down, as if he’s going to quietly hand over all his power if we make the request nicely.”
Then she must pick up the tension in my chest because there’s only a brief pause before the chamber door swings open. Ana stands there, her face etched with concern.
“What’s wrong?” she asks. “We have time to talk—I’ve left them discussing some obscure bylaw about royal oversight,” she rolls her eyes.
