Anders really had the worst timing when it came to throwing his little hissy fits. I didn't have the time to chase him down and cheer him up, and I was disappointed that he hadn't realised how important it was to get to de Launcet before something else awful happened.

All we had to go on from Orsino was the address of de Launcet's parents in Hightown. It was a nice address, too, the kind anyone would be more than proud to put on their envelopes. Merrill drove us uptown and we roused the de Launcets from their slumber.

They weren't terribly happy to see us.

"Look here," Mister de Launcet senior said, his moustache trembling with indignation, "do you have any sort of authority to come banging on people's doors at all hours of the night, making demands? Emile is in the Circle, where he's supposed to be."

"I don't believe you," I said calmly. "I know for a fact that he's not in the Circle. Mister de Launcet, we are not the Templars, and for your son's sake it would best if you talked to me they find out."

He opened the door a bit wider, "Is this really necessary? My wife and I donate generously to the Circle, the Templars have always been very understanding of Emile's needs."

"People have died tonight," I said flatly. "Both of them were Circle mages out without permission. It's possible that Emile, if he is on the loose, is in danger himself."

He let us inside.

Aside from our footsteps, the only sound was the ticking of a free-standing grandfather clock in the hallway. I couldn't see anything in the entire house I could have afforded.

"Look, he came by earlier. He said he wasn't running away, he just had to get out for a while."

"How did he get out?" I asked.

"He said a Templar helped him, although he didn't say why. He asked for some money and then he left. I swear he's not here."

"But he was here," I said slowly. "Does he have a room here?"

"Well, he has his old room, but of course he never stays in it. Err, my wife keeps it made up for sentimental reasons."

"I'm sure," I said. "May I see it please?"

"If you really think it's necessary."

"I think the danger may be more widespread than it seems."

"He's obviously not here," Mister de Launcet said, throwing open the door.

"I never said he was," I said, stepping into the room and glancing around. There was nothing particularly strange about it; it was nice and tidy, and the bed was made. It didn't feel like an abandoned memorial to an absent son, however. The air wasn't stale.

Could I be wrong?

"I think your son has been very lucky," I said. "Get in contact with him, tell him he's been found out, and tell him to return to the Circle as soon as possible and to stay put for a little while."

De Launcet looked like he was going to argue and then thought better of it.

"He'll be at the Rose," he said eventually. "I'll …I just hope my wife doesn't find out. I'll go and get him."

"With luck," I told him, "you'll never hear from me again."

We trooped back outside while De Launcet went to change out of his pyjamas and rouse the chauffeur.

"Can we trust him to do as he says?" Fenris asked. "What if the same thing happens to Emile that happened to Huon and Evelina? It can't be just coincidence."

"It's not," I said. "But I don't think Emile's in the same kind of danger."

"Why not?" Fenris asked.

"By the pricking of my thumbs," I said.

"You felt it too?" Merrill asked.

"Yeah. When Huon touched me, and all through Evelina's house."

Fenris scowled, "Mages and their little secrets."

"It's the yellowcake lyrium," Merrill said. "Meredith must have dug it out. But she didn't want it for the Templars," Merrill said. "She wanted it for the mages. If you don't know what it is, and you're not prepared, it can hit you like a truck. No wonder they went over the edge."

"And Emile wasn't interested in his – he didn't even take it to the house. Which means it's probably still in the Gallows. Who knows how much more has been passed around? We need to tell Orsino," I said. "The other mages need to be warned."

"And Meredith needs to be punished," Merrill said. "This can't be legal, surely."

"He can try and connect the lyrium to her, but I'll bet she's covered her tracks well, and I'm not going to start searching the Gallows for evidence, with or without Orsino's permission."

"This war is getting dirty," Fenris observed.


There was no way to contact Orsino quietly. Emeric wasn't there and we had to kick up a fuss at the Gallow's gates for half an hour before someone actually let us in the see the First Enchanter, who managed to look dignified even at three in the morning. When we explained the situation, he told us go home.

"Get some sleep, and be at City Hall tomorrow morning. I don't know exactly what I might need you for, but I want you to keep any eye on," he paused, "things. I don't know what's going to happen, but Meredith has gone too far this time. This is entrapment. This is murder."

"You might have trouble convincing a judge to see it that way," I observed.

"I'm not going to let Dumar sweep this under the rug for the sake of peace."

Despite the lack of notice, Isabella, Varric and Anders got themselves up early and accompanied us to Hightown. Aveline was there too, in uniform, and we didn't distract her.

"I think you're about to see some real progress, Anders," I said. "Meredith's slipped up this time."

"I can't believe she nearly got away with it," he said. "And to think I doubted Evelina. This wasn't her fault at all; it was some bloody Templar she thought was doing her a favour."

We weren't the only ones there. Somehow word had got out that something interesting was going to happen and the reporters were there with their cameras, and the sight of them drew a curious crowd that grew larger as the clock tower above city hall chimed first nine and then nine-thirty.

"Do you think Orsino's already in there?" Isabela asked.

I nodded, "He'd want to get in there before Meredith even knew he was gone. He probably got them out of bed."

"Snuck out before Meredith woke up," Varric said, amused.

Things started happening about nine-thirty, when two Templar vehicles pulled up just short of the crowd so abruptly people still jumped out of their way. Meredith emerged, her uniform immaculate as always. She was tight lipped with fury, and the crowd parted silently as she strode up the stairs to City Hall, a couple of Templars in tow. I pulled my hat down low over my face; I didn't want her to see it right now. She didn't appear to pay any attention to the crowd, however.

We got another half an hour of peace, and while some people went away bored, the crowd still grew and the newspaper men jostled for good positions. Aveline nodded to us as she strolled through the crowd, keeping it calm. Every time someone left the building, the crowd craned its necks and then subsided with disappointment as a clerk or petitioner stepped wide-eyed into the throng.

The clock tower was striking ten when the Templars held the door for Orsino and Meredith. Meredith was blank-faced, Orsino looked determined. He stopped at the top of the stairs, and flashbulbs popped. Meredith paused.

"People of Kirkwall and gentlemen of the press, I'm glad you could make it," Orsino began.

Meredith practically flew back up the stairs. "Who said you were authorised to give a press conference?" she hissed. "If you insist on pursuing this investigation, then it must be treated confidentially."

"Nonsense, Meredith," Orsino said loudly. "This is a matter of public safety. Every man, woman and child in Kirkwall must be protected from this dangerous substance."

The crowd murmured excitedly as the reporters kept scribbling.

"Or don't you agree, Commander?" Orsino asked.

Meredith shut her mouth with a snap, regarding the assembled crowd with cold eyes. They narrowed slightly when she recognised our group. We should have dispersed to draw less attention, I realised. Too late now.

"Very well," Meredith said. "Give your public health warning."

Orsino gave a clear, concise description of the yellowcake, and some dire warnings as to what might happen if you came in contact with it.

"This substance is especially dangerous for mages."

"Who are, of course," Meredith interrupted, "already dangerous to start with. A mage in contact with this substance becomes mentally unstable and may become an abomination."

"The irresponsibility of targeting mages in the community-"

"There are no mages in the community! Or there shouldn't be, for their own good and for our own good. This sort of situation is exactly why the Templars are here, to protect you – citizens and mages alike."

"It is clear then that you distinguish mages from citizens."

"You said yourself the situation is potentially lethal, you can't have it both ways."

"Neither can you!" Orsino was starting to lose his temper. "Where did this yellowcake come from? Who has access to almost all the lyrium in this entire city?"

"First Enchanter, you are free as always to exercise your right to debate, but if you're going to make baseless accusations on the steps of city hall I must ask you to stop."

"And what are you going to do? Drag me off in irons? Show the city just how you treat mages?"

I could feel Anders beside me, ever muscle tense with anger and anticipation as he watched the debate.

"Fight her," he murmured, "fight her!"

"I'm merely trying to prevent you from making a fool of yourself."

"No. Your Templars supplied mages with the yellowcake and the city deserves to know why. How far up the chain does this go?"

The crowd was moving closer, and Aveline and her colleagues were working to keep everyone from crowding up the steps. The reporters kept scribbling.

"Commander, are you denying all knowledge of the yellowcake?" one of the reporters called.

Meredith ignored him for a moment, and sought my eyes in the crowd.

"Yes," she said slowly. "Completely."

"We have a witness-" Orsino began and he was drowned out by the sudden clamour of questions. I knew he meant Emile, but I sensed Meredith's eyes on me again.

"This injustice has gone on long enough! Mages and soon the whole city live in fear of the Templars. How much power are you going to be allowed to amass?" Orsino raised his voice again.

"I have no more power than that invested in my by the law," Meredith retorted. "And until you have some solid evidence of wrongdoing, I would suggest you learn to accept that."

We stumbled as the crowd started pushing and shoving. No one seemed to be taking any particular side in the argument, but the people of Kirkwall loved an excuse to cause trouble.

"Enough!"

That was Aveline. Behind her, the doors of city hall opened again, and Dumar stepped out. The crowd subsided as the cameras flashed again.

"Commander, First Enchanter!" Dumar said, "This is not fitting behaviour for either of you. Kirkwall is my responsibility. I assure you, Orsino that a full enquiry into the source of the yellowcake will be conducted and the results will be publicly tabled. In the meantime, everyone will calm down and return to their homes and their businesses. First Enchanter, I will not have you inciting a riot outside my offices. If you have any formal complaints to make, I will hear all of them. In private. Let us behave in a civilised manner."

Orsino looked like he was going to argue again and thought better of it.

"Meredith," Dumar continued, "you will allow the police full access to the Gallows and a thorough search will be conducted this very afternoon."

Meredith nodded, "As you say, Mayor."

"This press conference is over."


"They didn't find anything," Varric said, reading the evening edition of the Post.

"Of course they didn't!" Anders said, nearly knocking his drink over as he gestured. "Dumar knew they weren't going to find anything. That's why he let them do it. Meredith would have had all that stuff well hidden off-site before the press conference. We could have had her!"

"The investigation's not over," I pointed out.

"It might as well be," Anders snarled. "Dumar's too scared of Meredith to find anything against her. Emile will be discredited or at best one or two Templars will be punished and things go on as before. Orsino had his chance and he blew it."

"He did his best, I thought," Isabela said. "What else could he have done?"

"He shouldn't have given in. He should have told everyone everything. But of course he didn't. He sees the injustice of Meredith but not the injustice of the Circle."

"The Circle suits some people, Anders," I said. "He knew about Huon and Evelina. It's not watertight and it's not meant to be. It's only when Meredith tries to make it watertight that things start going wrong."

"Well, nothing's going to change at this rate. City Hall's just going to keep hushing it up and telling everybody that everything's okay. People need to wake up. Someone has to do something."

"Like what, Blondie?"

Anders hung his head, "Something no one can ignore. I…I've had too much to drink. I'm going home."

"I think that would be for the best," Isabela said. "No point in it if you're not having a good time."