6
The table that stood across the alcove was small, light and easy to move. The heavy drape hid a surprisingly deep alcove with relatively recent scrape marks on the floor as well as adult and child sized footmarks in the dust. Apparently nobody bothered to clean in such an inaccessible place. The adult prints were scuffed, the owner had been half sliding his feet whilst moving something heavy; but they would bear recording. Quaestorious pointed them out to Carcillia.
"There, you see, because you were brave and showed me the place, I shall be able to draw these footprints. Then when I have some idea who might have done the killing, I can check to see if his boots match these ones!"
Carcillia looked on with awe, and gingerly fitted her own feet into the footmarks where he showed her her own feet went.
"I tan make footprints too!" cried Astillia, and jumped, both feet, into the only near perfect footprint. Quaestorious stared in horror; Astalliana gasped; and Carcillia gave her sister a hearty slap across the face.
"You are so STUPID!" she cried. "Now the inquisitor can't catch the bad man!" and burst into tears. Quaestorious gathered himself, grimly reminding himself that the best laid plans of mice and men end up filed somewhere in the warp, and bobbed down to reach out to the lustily howling Astillia and the frightened Carcillia.
"Quiet!" he commanded; and both hiccupped to silence at the steel in his voice. He went on, "It was silly, Astillia, but you are, I suppose too young to realise how important this is. Now, Carcillia, don't be frightened, because the footprint was only a part of the clue. And it has already told me some things about the killer – like I can guess how tall he was from the size. Do not blame your sister overmuch. Now, hug her and say you are sorry you were cross."
Carcillia looked mutinous; but she did as she was told, and Quaestorious handed them over to their mother. He watched them retreat with a quizzical look. Said Kiliana,
"Who'd have kids!"
He sighed, thoughtfully, and did not answer her; then returned to a minute examination of the alcove.
The drag marks of moving a heavy box like a freezer were apparent; and by the look of the marks it had been brought on an anti-gravitic carrier and manhandled by someone with more desperation than strength once deposited. The alcove was too small to take a big anti-grav kitchen floater, and anything smaller than a big one would be unlikely to manage a freezer unit. The big kitchen floaters were designed to take a freezer unit or refrigeration casket to standard design but the propulsion unit would extend past the alcove's sides. The amount of effort might denote a man not used to physical exertion – or even possibly a woman. The characteristic scuffs showed how the freezer had been 'walked' by rocking it one corner at a time. That would tend to rule out a strong and fit man like Carcillius Boradan Lussus; unless his age had robbed his true strength and his fitness regimen a futile attempt to fight the inexorable march of age. Somehow Quaestorius did not think that Lussus was actually suffering the weakness of eld; he was in his middle years to be sure, but no indication that any unusual condition might have struck him down early and robbed him of a strength gained through a habit of military level fitness regimes.
"Leo" said Kiliana "I don't really see how there could have been anyone brought in. Weren't they - the bodies – always under the eye of someone?"
Quaestorius gave a grim smile.
"Oh yes my child; they were indeed; under the eye of a lot of somebodies. The local Guard were left to organise the removal of the bodies from the place of execution to the antechamber of a city incinerator where the autopsy facilities are so that the area could be cleaned up. There were several squads involved I believe. A lot of people coming and going. Easy for someone wearing uniform to slide in to the antechamber with an extra body. And no marines overseeing it to pick up on anything like that because Tigris is currently undergoing a fervent religious revival that doubts the faith of Marines."
"But Marines are more devout than anyone except you!" cried Kiliana, indignantly.
"I know, my child; but when have human beings ever been noted for being rational once they get an idea in their heads?" sighed Quaestorius. "The Governor feared that the masses, brainwashed by the unwashed – er, I mean given false beliefs – might demonstrate against marines if they were too much in evidence."
Kiliana giggled.
"I think you meant what you said with the first comment" she said.
He permitted himself a thin, austere, smile.
"Perhaps I did" he admitted.
"But I still have a question" said Kiliana. "If the guardsmen were carrying the bodies, or overseeing servitors doing so, why wouldn't they notice that someone was there who didn't ought to be?"
"Your grammar is excruciating" said Quaestorius. "For one thing we cannot rule out that the murderer – or the person who moved the body who is probably but not necessarily the same – might not have been supposed to be there. Someone military or involved in administration, or even an ecclesiast might be openly supervising. With some extra-curricular activity on the side. Even if this was not the case, this has been a shocking, horrific occurrence. The execution was...horrible. I always hate such. The stench of fear and blood in the courtyard where the execution took place was considerable. The chaos incursion had already been frightening. It is possible that some of the heretics were known if only slightly to some of the guardsmen, and if not, they seemed quite ordinary men. As indeed they were" he glanced at her. "Chaos can infect ordinary men and women who get wrong ideas. Heresy can come in the guise of faith – which is how some can mistrust Marines. The guardsmen are ordinary men too. They have seen a frightening thing happen on their planet culminating in this graphic execution."
"But would that make them stop thinking? Surely not?" interrupted Kiliana.
"You should not interrupt" chided Quaestorius. "No, they do not stop thinking – but they do not look at each other. There is a shame in being involved in something like this, and moreover as well as the embarrassment of that, a man will not meet the eyes of another in such situation for fear of seeing the same expression he knows he wears in his own eyes, that will lead him to lose all semblance of self control, and perhaps lose control of the bodily functions he has a tight grip on. It is called fear, Kiliana, and fear can make all men into strangers for its isolation of the senses."
"I see, I think" said Kiliana. "What do we do next?"
"I am going to write out a chart on which I shall write down the names of anyone who had the knowledge – the Governor's household – and where they say they were in one column, any corroborative evidence in the next, any discrepancies in the next and leave a final column for any other remarks" said Quaestorius. "Often I do this within my own head, but it will do no harm to have it written out formally – and it will help you to put evidence logically for your training. In fact, I shall leave you doing that while I speak to Loridas Carcillan Lusus."
"That's the son with the bad dress sense, isn't it?" said Kiliana. "I don't think much of his colour choices."
"I think he is showing his rebellion against his father," said Quaestorius, thoughtfully, "something that is quite common – the more so when they are of two such different types."
"And you don't want me to help you talk to him" said Kiliana mournfully and slightly resentfully. "Is it because he prefers men? I know about it you know; you can't grow up amongst soldiers without figuring some things out."
"It has nothing to do with protecting you, as it happens" said Quaestorius. "It was more the thought that I did not think that young Lussus would talk in front of you."
"He thinks I'm a boy" said Kiliana cynically "He was eyeing me up."
Quaestorius froze momentarily.
"He does? He was?" he said, taken aback.
Kiliana gave a gurgle of mirth.
"I've shocked you!" she said. "I think he's a bit of a flirt; that other one, Mitchellis whatsit didn't like it above half, he was scowling at me. Should I try to pump young Lussus on my own? And why can't these people have sensible names?"
"I was taken aback, not shocked" said Quaestorius, firmly. "You are a pert chit! I missed that entirely – it might be useful to get young Lussus talking, but I don't want to send you on your own, we don't know if he might go too far and then turn ugly if he discovered that you are female. And I don't want you subjected to insult from Mitchellis Corlen Drusus either. Dear me, you are right about the names; very tedious to try to follow the naming customs here, though useful that one can tell the social class by the number of names. I'm going to call old Lussus by his family name from now on and call his son Loridas. Will that make it easier for you?"
"Much" said Kiliana skipping happily on the spot. "I would risk talking to him you know; or perhaps you could summon him to your room, and I can be here and tell him you've been called away and will be in presently."
Quaestorius considered.
"There's some merit in that" he said. "And Burdock within earshot too."
"That would make me feel a lot happier" admitted Kiliana.
They returned to the Inquisitor's room; and found Burdock there sorting out coffee.
"Burdock, you are truly a treasure" said Quaestorius. "I want you to find Loridas Carcillan Lusus and tell him that I want to see him in my room; escort him here and wait outside. Kiliana will be talking to him first and I want you within call in case she needs you."
Burdock frowned in deep thought and mined for dandruff on his head in the depth of an apparent puzzlement.
"But sah!" he burst out "Dat young man don't like girls! He ain't goin' to cause her no trouble like dat is he?"
Quaestorius smiled grimly.
"Normally, no, Burdock. But Kili has noticed that he had not yet realised that she is a girl and I plan to use her willingness to exploit that to see if we can get more out of him. I – I have mixed feelings about this, but if you are nearby I shall worry much less. "
Burdock nodded sagely, dislodging such dandruff as had not already fallen. Quaestorius wondered irritably if this planet had such things as medicated pilatory cleansers.
"I'll take care of her, me lud" Burdock said. Quaestorius knew he would, and smiled, pleased. Now to make himself temporarily scarce, but ready to listen outside the door for a good strategic moment to come in.
oOoOo
Loridas Carcillan Lussus knocked and entered the room the Inquisitor was occupying. The pretty youth who was some kind of assistant or servant to the Inquisitor was there, kneeling on the floor writing on some kind of chart, his pert buttocks holding the shapeless robe taut. Young Lussus was appreciative.
Kiliana looked up and got to her feet.
"You'll be Loridas with all the names" she said. "The Inquisitor conveys his apologies, he was called away, he hopes not to be more than a few minutes."
Loridas grinned.
"Well I'm sure we can get to know each other a bit better in the meantime" he said. "How come you fetched up working for that sour faced creature, a bright and merry young thing like you?"
Kiliana scowled.
"Inquisitor Quaestorius is not sour; he is a very kind man, except to murderers" she said.
Loridas whistled.
"Oh, you warm his bed do you?" he said.
Kiliana slapped him, hard.
"He is NOT a – whatever the long word is for men who sleep with children!" she said. "How DARE you accuse an Inquisitor of such crimes?"
He staggered back.
"I – I suppose I had not reflected your age" he said. "What – how old are you?"
Kiliana shrugged. She was angry with herself for having reacted so intemperately – she had to find a way back to being able to win the little creep's confidence.
"I'm not too sure" she said "But the Inquisitor says that until adolescents have feelings that they want to fulfil, they are too young. So there. That was why he rescued me so I would not be used. And if you are some kind of pervert, I won't help you clear your name either" she added, hoping that this would pique him into asking how she might help him.
He flushed a dull red.
"I – I apologise fully" he said. "So many people get things done by sexual favours, I – well I see it all the time. I did not mean to insult you or the Inquisitor; I was disappointed if you were… if your affections were engaged."
"My whole devotion is to the Emperor" said Kiliana sententiously, praying quickly to apologise to the Holy Emperor for the lie, in that actually some of her devotion was to the surrogate family she had in Leo and Burdock.
"Oh, er, quite" said Loridas. "How – er, how would you be able to clear my name?" he asked hopefully.
"By being truthful" said Kiliana. "Inquisitor Quaestorius is a reasonable and fair man but he knows that you are lying about where you were between the Meridianus and Hora Secunda. If I were you, I'd tell him everything, especially as you can do so privately here, without your mother overhearing."
"Why should it matter if my mother heard?" his voice was a little shrill.
Kiliana sighed.
"Because you buffoon, you were seen entering a place she might not want you to be visiting" she said.
Loridas passed out.