Arducius thought it fortunate that the ancient Willem Geste, well into his mid-one hundred and thirties, was in Westfallen and far beyond the clutches of the Chancellor. Every day they waited the call to travel back for his ceremony at the House of Masks. But God had use for him yet, it seemed, limited though it must be.
'It doesn't look promising,' said Arducius, his voice a whisper in Hesther's ear. 'This is hardly a judge-split that favours our continued cycles, is it?'
'But we are not without allies. Aurelius is smart. And this is a time we should all be thankful that the military considers you a powerful weapon. No verdict will be given without due diligence of prosecution or defence.'
'But they will find against us.'
'In all probability. But it is then our allies will stand or turn. Appeals, objections. Anything to delay sentence until Herine returns. The Chancellor knows all this, of course. Now we'll see who's the better at playing the game.'
'We're wasting time,' said Arducius. 'We lose training and Gorian gets closer.'
'And we must waste as much more time as we can.' Hesther managed a smile. 'A paradox indeed. Just keep your brother's spirits up. You might hate him this morning but we need him.'
Arducius nodded. 'We spoke last night.'
'Good.'
'Hesther, I cannot see Orin.'
'He'll be here.'
'He should be here now.'
'He'll be here.' Hesther looked out into the basilica. Like Arducius, she could see the empty place next to Marcus Gesteris. 'Probably doesn't want to show his hand too early.'
Arducius was not comforted by the explanation. They needed all the help they could get.
Aurelius stood. The basilica fell silent. Outside, the singing and chanting echoed through the columns and into the roof. Across the stage, Koroyan smiled. Arducius shuddered. Memories of Westfallen's forum and murder crowded his mind.
'The charges have been posted and read. The trial for heresy will begin and every rule and law of its conduct will be followed to the letter.' Aurelius stared hard at the Chancellor,
‘I
will not allow hearsay. Nor will I allow fabrication and exaggeration. Any who speak without express permission will be excluded from the basilica. Any in the public benches who feel the need to shout for one side or the other should think again. I will not hesitate to clear the chamber if I feel it necessary.
'Let us not forget who is in charge here despite the seniority of those involved in the proceedings.' Aurelius tapped his chest. 'I am in charge here. My honoured Speakers of Fire and Earth will join me in final judgement but in all other matters, I stand as sole arbiter. I trust that is clear to all present. Chancellor, proceed.'
Aurelius sat down. Koroyan shared brief words with her Speakers before standing. She was, as always, an imposing and chatismatic figure. Her energy map was alive and densely interconnected with the world around her and everything the Omniscient gave to His people. She wore a formal toga, slashed green for the Advocacy, and braided gold and purple for the seniority of her position within the Order. On her greying head sat a tiara of interwoven leaves and roots, centred by a sun motif.
She smiled at the Ascendancy benches. It was such a warm gesture that even Arducius felt himself swayed. It suffused her map with gentle green and slow pulsing blue. She had a mastery that she could only guess at. Surely it was not a genuine emotion she displayed yet her life map spoke otherwise. It was love and it was forgiveness.
‘I
do not set out each morning to hate anyone. No one who opens their eyes on a God-blessed morning can have such darkness in their hearts. The joy the Omniscient offers us with every breath sweeps away such notions. We are all free under the gaze of God to go about our lives as He deems we should. And in return He gives us this bountiful world in which to live.
'Yet within this beautiful simplicity there is darkness and there is evil. If there were not, then I could disband the Armour of God, could I not?'
A titter ran around the rear benches. Arducius saw smiles on most faces. But by no means all.
'It is my job to ensure that such evil does not persist to taint the work of the Omniscient or turn the heads of his faithful. And I fear that many heads have been turned by the evil of the Ascendancy. Senior heads. For more than ten years, crimes against the Omniscient have gone unpunished, and indeed have been indulged by those whose position surely forbids them to do so.
'But, I am not going to stand here and read out that list. After all, we all need our rest tonight, do we not?'
Another titter and a few calls of agreement, hushed quickly.
'I do have it with me though, so if pressed
...'
The Chancellor indicated behind her. 'What I am going to do is keep this very simple, but first I am going to answer a question that will be on the minds of all here present. Do I hate those who commit heresy? Is it this that drives me to seek their destruction, because destruction is what awaits the guilty.'
She turned back to the Ascendancy benches and delivered that smile again. Arducius fought hard not to believe what she said next.
'No. Of course I don't. Hate has no place in the heart of any minister of the Omniscient. What I feel, as do my fellow Speakers and Readers, is pity. Pity that any should have been turned from the path to follow evil. Pity that there is anyone in this world who seeks to destroy the work of God.
'But I live in the real world so I understand that there will always be those who will set their wills against the Omniscient and seek to undermine Him for their own ends. So it is not for me that I seek out this evil and determine to destroy it. It is for every faithful citizen who awakes to the same beauty I do every morning.
'I understand that destruction is the only way because those who choose heresy cannot be brought back into the embrace of God. They must stand as markers to those who are faltering that the Omniscient is the only way. Not hate, pity. And I weep for every one of them who burns, as does my God.'
The Chancellor paused. Within his heaving sense of injustice, Arducius found time to admire her and even understand her just a little more. He had certainly just gained an education as to why she remained so powerful and so popular, even though shorn of the support of the Advocate. That she would end with the majority of the public on her side was not in question. Aurelius was the key. He, Marcus Gesteris and Elise Kastenas.
'So, as I said, simplicity. I do not need to prove a vast number of individual crimes. On their own, many might not be considered heresy. Indeed some might argue that taking back a life from God to be some form of mercy. I tire of such debate. No. I can prove far more conclusively, that these Ascendants and their backers are heretics by the words of one of their own.'
Arducius nudged Ossacer. 'Here it comes, Ossie. Be careful.'
'Ossacer Westfallen, you will stand,' demanded the Chancellor.
Ossacer did so. Wearing his Ascendancy toga and with his hair cut short, he looked every inch the respectable citizen. He clasped his hands in front of him.
'Ossacer. May I call you Ossacer? It is informal but familiar.'
'It is my name,' said Ossacer.
'Did you or did you not state to me that Gorian Westfallen, previously thought dead, is able to raise the dead? To wrest the faithful from the arms of God and impel them to his will?'
'I did.'
A ripple of conversation and revulsion fled around the basilica. Aurelius raised a hand to still it. Arducius watched Marcus Gesteris rise and excuse himself.
'And did you not tell me that to counter this apparent threat, your brother Arducius and the rest of the Academy were training in, Works, is it? Works of fire in order to destroy these faithful?'
'I did.'
'Is not the threat of the use of fire to destroy an innocent of the Omniscient a heresy against the faith?' 'It is written thus.'
The Chancellor spread her hands wide. 'The case is proven. Surely?'
'You are asking me?' said Ossacer.
'Naturally.'
'Of course it isn't proven,' said Ossacer. 'Only the feeble-minded would believe so.'
To her credit, the Chancellor did not flinch despite clearly expecting a less vehement response.
'Are you sure that is what you believe? You did come to me to ask me to stop what you yourself described as a crime, did you not?'
'I did.'
'Then surely, you agree that the crime is one of heresy because to burn or threaten to burn is such a crime.'
'The problem, Chancellor Koroyan, is that you claim simplicity but we all know the world is not that simple or every legion commander would be facing similar charges every time they dipped a stone or an arrowhead in burning pitch. I asked for your help by calling on people's—'
'Enough. I have heard enough.'
'I am merely answering your question for the assembled company,' said Ossacer. He made to continue but the Chancellor turned to Aurelius.
'Senator, order his silence.'
But Aurelius shook his head. Arducius smiled.
'I think not. Or at least not yet. As I mentioned in my opening address, I will decide what is allowed and what is not. When I feel the question is answered, I will call it so. Continue, Ossacer Westfallen.'
Ossacer inclined his head. 'Thank you, Senator. I did visit the Chancellor to stop what I would describe as a crime before it was committed. The Chancellor was invited to win an argument on theological grounds that would have seen the use of any form of flame or explosive by Conquord armies outlawed. This is because the use of such puts the faithful in the front line at inevitable risk. The fact that in the enemy front line we might face, should the rumours be true, our own dead walking against us merely heightens that risk.
'No Conquord commander stands with us, accused of this particular heresy. On the battlefield, use of fire is currently sanctioned by her own Order. I disagree with it but it is so. Hence, no crime of heresy has been committed by any Ascendant, merely one of ethics.'
Aurelius held up his hand for silence, having heard far more than was necessary. The Chancellor was incandescent.
'Perhaps you should read out your list of charges after all, Chancellor,' said Aurelius. 'Unless you wish to pursue this line further.'
Orin D'Allinnius ordered that the door to the laboratories be unbolted and had his guard stand outside until Marcus Gesteris left. He didn't get out of his chair. His back and legs were agony today and there was a crawling sensation where his missing ear had been. He laid down his quill when Gesteris reached him, not wanting the senator to see the tremble in his hands.
'Sit down, Marcus. Come to see our progress?'
'That was one reason,' said Gesteris, taking the proffered seat.
D'Allinnius cleared a space of papers and two flasks and signalled for herb tea.
‘I
didn't realise you were coming or I'd have organised something a little more fitting.'
'Tea will be fine,' said Gesteris. 'And you knew full well I'd be coming.'
'But not the exact time.'
'Where the hell have you been? There is one empty seat in the front row and it has your name on it. We need you there. They need you there.'
D'Allinnius sucked his lip and looked away. Gesteris couldn't miss the trembling in his hands now. He put them in his lap and wrung them together. He felt cold though the office was hot.
‘I
cannot go out there,' he said, voice a hoarse whisper.
‘I
will not.'
'Koroyan has got to you, hasn't she?'
'She got to me ten years ago,' snapped D'Allinnius.
He could still feel the pain like it was fresh and see her smile as the hammers fell on his joints and his face, the knives ripped at his skin and the flame ate at his balls.
'Today. She got to you today, didn't she?'
‘I
have too few allies here,' said D'Allinnius, fighting to keep his tone steady. 'No Advocate, no Jhered and no Harkov. They can speak for me.'
'Yes, but as you so rightly point out they are not here and the trial will not wait for them.' Gesteris reached out a friendly hand. 'You are no coward, Orin. No one who knows you could accuse you of that. But we have a real chance of discrediting the Chancellor here.'
‘I
know. I know. And so does she. Why do you think I've got all these guards outside my door? If I appear and get questioned she'll have me killed.'