"A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying." - B. F. Skinner
It was barely noon when the bailiff took Fenir Cartmill's body down from the gallows for burial. Numbly, Bredin watched the guardsmen carry the body towards the potter's field before heading back to the Guard post. Heralds Mani and Corey intercepted him at the gate. They took Bredin to the White Hart where Lars held a private room.
The four Heralds sat quietly as the serving girl laid out a luncheon. After she left, Mani said "You've never been responsible for a death before, have you?" His look was sympathetic.
Bredin shook his head. "Actually, I have." At the Senior Heralds' looks of surprise, he told the story of Jake Tiles' death. "I don't understand why signing Cartmill's Death Warrant should bother me like this."
Corey gestured at Bredin's plate. "Eat." He ordered. Bredin reluctantly picked up his fork.
"I didn't sign a Death Warrant until my first solo circuit." Corey said. "There were no capital cases on my internship circuit. Even though I had fought and killed robbers before, actually signing a Death Warrant gave me nightmares for a week."
"Why?" Bredin asked, though he thought he knew the answer.
"When you sign a Death Warrant, you are doing so deliberately. You are not fighting for your life, you are making a conscious decision to end a life. You actually have to think about what you are doing." Corey said. Mani nodded in agreement.
Bredin looked at his plate. He realized he was pushing his food around his plate without actually eating. He took a mouthful. The food seemed tasteless.
"Fenir Cartmill was an evil, vicious monster." Bredin said. "I should be relieved he is gone."
"The monster wore a human face." Mani said. "You spoke to him and listened to him. No matter how much you despised him, you acknowledged him as a person. No sane person can order another person killed – no matter how vile – without being bothered."
::If it did not bother you, I would never have Chosen you.:: Lacaral added.
##
In several ways, the trial and execution of Sandor Fekete that afternoon was worse than the trial of Fenir Cartmill.
Although Sandor had only killed one person and hadn't tortured his wife, his absolutely cold decision to kill her appalled Bredin.
Sandor and Tilme's marriage was a loveless one. Their parents had arranged it to tie their lands together; it was all business. Sandor did not have the slightest feeling for his wife, even though she bore him three children.
Tilme, more passionate than her husband, decided to leave. She announced it one evening after putting the children to bed. Sandor had listened to her proposal to divide their property, telling her he would agree.
That night, he suffocated her in her sleep, then buried her body beneath the floor of the barn. He told the children and neighbors that Tilme had left him. The neighbors, who knew how little the couple cared for each other, had their doubts, but could not bring themselves to think that Sandor would murder his wife.
Only Tilme's widowed mother refused to accept Sandor's story and accused him of murder. Since his mother-in-law had a reputation as a troublemaker, no one believed her. When she died of a stroke three moons later, Sandor attended her funeral and spoke kindly of her, assuring others he bore no grudges and understood the old woman's concern for her daughter. His gesture helped allay the neighbors' suspicions.
With the Truth Spell and the reports of Lars and Healer Weems, the whole trial took less than a candlemark. Out of concern for the children, Bredin offered to delay the execution for a sennight to allow Sandor Fekete time to put his affairs in order and say goodbye.
Sandor Fekete refused, saying he wanted it over as soon as possible. For the second time in one day, Bredin signed a Death Warrant and grimly watched a man hang.
Feeling dazed and empty, Bredin signed an order giving one of Tilme's cousins custody of the children. He walked back to the Guard post between Mani and Lars, so unaware of his surroundings that he walked right into Lacaral's shoulder. He mounted his Companion and rode out the south gate without a word to anyone.
##
Bredin could barely eat his food when he returned for supper. It was Lacaral, not Mani, who pointed out that Bredin still had work to do and he would need to feed himself to be fit for work.
Bredin roused himself to retort ::Yes, mother.:: to his exasperated Companion before forcing himself to eat.
After they had eaten, the four Heralds discussed the situation in Hunberston.
"From the number of people who have approached me," Mani said, "there is an incredible backlog that needs to be dealt with here."
"That's what I have been seeing in the paperwork in the Watch office." Corey agreed.
Lars added that he had been approached as well.
"From what I saw in Valen Halmar's office, I assumed there was a mess." Bredin said. "Nobody has come to me, though."
Mani shrugged. "You've been busy with the Cartmill case. People haven't wanted to bother you."
"I think we are going to have to run four separate Herald's courts." Corey said. "It's the only way to get through this without spending a whole moon here."
Bredin was appalled at Corey's plan. Despite the serious nature of the crimes, his two cases had been straightforward. He'd known the problems involved and the criminals. From watching Mani over the last moon, he knew that arguments over who was in the wrong could be much more complicated. "I can't do that yet!" Bredin said. "I don't have the experience!" Lars nodded agreement.
::How are you going to get experience if you don't try?:: Lacaral asked.
Mani arched an eyebrow. "Actually, the problem is going to be getting the townspeople to accept Corey, Lars or me as their judge. Right now, all of Hunberston thinks you are the wisest man in Valdemar."
"But I haven't even solved all of the missing person cases." Bredin protested.
"Remember the other day when people were saying that Cartmill had killed all of the missing and was somehow fooling you and the Truth Spell?" Mani said. Bredin nodded and Mani went on. "After Lars showed that Pinkie Moad had run off and you uncovered the murder of Tilme Fekete, they all changed their minds. You had not been deceived. You became infallible in their eyes."
Bredin looked at his mentor in shock. "But I'm not!"
"None of us are." Corey agreed with Mani. "But people put us on pedestals anyways. You have just built yourself the biggest pedestal possible. Everyone in town is going to want you to hear their case."
"How am I going to handle that?" Bredin asked.
Bredin's yearmate spoke up. "Simple. Order that people to draw lots. They take the Herald they draw or their case doesn't get heard." Lars smiled at his own cleverness.
"It might work." Bredin said. "What if I need help?"
"We all have decent mindspeech." Corey said. "You can consult with us if you think you need a hand. Same for you, Lars."
"Actually, it would be better if you said outright you needed to consult with your fellow Heralds." Mani said. "People would think you are being wise and it would reinforce the idea that we are your equals."
Corey agreed emphatically.
Bredin thought about it. He couldn't see any flaws, so he agreed. He sighed. "At least I don't have to deal with Fenir Cartmill anymore."
Bredin was wrong.
##
The first indication of Cartmill's other crimes came in the person of Father Herbert, the priest who had relayed the trial proceedings to the crowd outside on the first day of Cartmill's trial.
Bredin announced to the townspeople how the Heralds would handle the cases. Magistrate Royce Halmar would take their pleas and handle the drawing of the lots. He left the improvised court in the square, heading for Fenir Cartmill's home. As he moved away, Father Herbert touched his sleeve, asking a few moments of his time.
Bredin agreed and the priest walked with him. Bredin listened as Father Herbert told how, a few years before, he had noticed that the beggar children were disappearing. Gradually, their ranks had thinned until only a few remained, mostly those with missing limbs or other disfigurements. All of those left whispered tales of 'the grabber' who would steal children in their sleep and carry them off to some terrible fate.
Bredin asked Father Herbert if he had told the Watch about the disappearances.
The priest's voice filled with loathing as he described Valen Halmar's dismissive reply. "'Who cares about street rats? If someone's taking them, they're doing the town a favor. Best if they were all drowned in the river.'" Father Herbert quoted.
Tight-lipped, Bredin promised he would do what he could to discover the fate of the missing.
Bredin met Lars outside of Fenir Cartmill's home. Bredin had previously searched the home for evidence of the rapes and murders. He had uncovered a great deal of evidence, including a cellar where Cartmill had raped and tortured his victims.
Lars looked unhappily at the house. Bredin knew that his yearmate's hindsight would show Lars details of the crimes that Bredin only knew from Cartmill's descriptions. Lars would 'see' the crimes in horrifying detail. However, Lars' gift was essential. Cartmill had acted alone: Bredin had confirmed that under the Truth Spell. There remained a slight possibility that there were others involved in some indirect way. If there were accomplices, Bredin had to root them out. Lars' perceptions would expose any such person.
"How does a mere henchman to a noble afford a house?" Lars wondered. "Not even the Queen's personal bodyguards could."
"Houses are cheaper here than in Haven." Bredin suggested.
"A noble's troopers are paid much less. It evens out. They usually live in a barracks." Lars said.
"He was distantly related to Viscount Gustav. Maybe he had some family inheritance."
Lars waved his hand dismissively. "Then why be a member of the Viscount's troops at all? Didn't you say you found several hidden caches of money when you searched it?"
"To hide his crimes?" Bredin suggested.
"He could have bought rank that would give him better position to do so." Lars countered.
Bracing himself for the unpleasant task, Lars went into the house. Bredin saw Lars flinch as he opened gift. Lars' face showed horror. "Gods, Bredin! This is awful. They're terrified. Let me sort this out. There is so much here. He's dragging them over that way –" Lars pointed to the trap door leading to the cellar.
Lars stopped. His eyes got wider. He spun and ran out of the house. Bredin followed. Lars leaned against the wall of the house across the street, burying his face in his arms. Cealine galloped up. Lars turned and wrapped his arms around her neck.
Bredin waited until Lars composed himself enough to face him. "Bred, I thought you said he didn't kill any children."
"What?" Bredin exclaimed. "He said so under the Truth Spell."
"There were children in there, Bred. I saw them."
Bredin was baffled. "The Truth Spell didn't even waver when he said he did not rape or murder children."
Lars was as puzzled as Bredin. "We've got to figure this out, Bred." He looked at the house once, bracing himself to go back in.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Bredin asked.
"Cealine says she can block my personal feelings out. She says it will be like reading about something really horrible in history." Lars saw Bredin's skeptical look. "Really, Bred, I can do this."
Lars headed back to the house, his hand on his Companion's neck. Cealine stopped at the door, looking in, while Lars continued inside. Bredin followed his yearmate.
"I see a woman in a red dress, she is bound…." Lars began. Bredin took notes as Lars described scene after scene. Sometimes there were women, other times children. Lars described each person as carefully as he could, including the clothes they wore. Repeatedly, Lars noted that the children appeared to be drugged. Once, his vision showed Cartmill forcing a child to swallow a liquid or potion.
When they moved to the cellar, Bredin nearly vomited at Lars' descriptions of the tortures Cartmill inflicted on the women. Even with Cealine helping, how could Lars sound so calm?
::She's blocking his emotions.:: Lacaral said. ::But he is going to get it all at once when she removes those blocks.::
Lars did not describe any torture or killing of children, however. Instead, they were manacled to the wall, held prisoner until someone came.
"Here's that man again." Lars said, still focusing on his vision. "He is inspecting the children, touching them. He's like a horse-buyer, checking to see if they are healthy and sound. He smiles and shakes hands with Cartmill. He hands him a pouch. Cartmill breaks the seal and counts the crowns inside. They shake hands again."
Bredin twitched. He had seen a pouch like the one Lars described in his earlier search. He would have to find it again.
Lars continued, describing how the children were drugged again, then wrapped and bound before Cartmill loaded them on his dog-cart.
During Lars' long description, Corey and Mani joined them. The two Senior Heralds helped with the note taking and quietly shooed away bystanders and onlookers speculating over what was happening.
When Lars finally finished, Corey led him out of the house and gave him a leg up onto Cealine's back.
"Cealine will hold the block until Corey can get him back to his bed. There is a healer waiting with some herbs that will help him sleep." Mani said. "How about you?"
"It was bad enough just hearing him describe it." Bredin said. "I don't want to think about actually seeing it."
Mani looked at his intern sympathetically. "Do you want a rest?"
"Yes." Bredin said. "But no. This has got to be dealt with. Today."
"Good man." Mani slapped him on the shoulder. "You can at least take a break for lunch and we can talk about what's next."
Corey and Mani joined Bredin at lunch. "What I can't understand, is how Cartmill lied under the Truth Spell." Bredin said, looking at the Senior Heralds for answers.
"Are you sure he lied?" Corey asked. "What, exactly, did he say?
Bredin thought back to his interrogation. "He said 'I do not rape or kill…'" Bredin stopped himself. "Damn! I asked him if he killed the children."
Bredin hung his head. He remembered his conversation with Lacaral after the attempt to assassinate the Queen. ::And sometimes the Herald doesn't ask the right questions.:: Lacaral had said.
"I didn't ask him if he had kidnapped the children or knew what happened to them. How could I be such a fool?" Bredin remembered how he had said something about some evils were beyond even Cartmill. He remembered Cartmill's smirk afterwards. "The bastard knew he had fooled me!" He said.
"If it is any consolation," Mani said, "it never occurred to me until today that he might have something to do with the missing children. We've all been warned to watch for it. We've been looking for years."
Corey looked thoughtful. "You know. I don't recall seeing any of the general warnings about it in Valen Halmar's papers. In fact, most of the reports of the children whose parents reported them missing are gone, too."
"Cartmill told me under the Truth Spell how he had ingratiated himself with Valen Halmar. I guess he stole those records, too." Bredin said.
"What do we do now?" Corey asked.
"We announce what we have discovered and ask for help." Mani said. "Cartmill is the first link we know of to these gangs. Unfortunately, he is dead and we can't get any leads from him. We ask the townspeople to tell us anything they noticed, either about the children or about Cartmill. We search his home again, looking for clues."
"If only I had questioned him more carefully…." Bredin began.
"Stop wallowing!" Mani said. "You're a Herald, not some avatar of Kerenos. You missed something. We all miss things. You know about it now. Pick up and go on."
Bredin was taken aback by Mani's sharp tone. The Senior Herald did not let up. "What are you going to do?"
Bredin paused. "We do what you suggested. Let the townspeople know and ask for help. Apologise for the mistake."
"Don't apologise." Corey said. "Just tell them what we have found out."
"But I blundered." Bredin protested.
"Did you?" Corey challenged. "You were working on a horrific case of multiple murders. You solved that case. You followed up on things that grew out of that case. Now you have to finish that."
"People will say I could have done better." Bredin said.
"Could you have?" Mani asked.
"If I had questioned him about the missing children, I might have gotten a lead on the gang behind it." Bredin said.
"Maybe." Mani agreed. "Assuming he knew who the others were. Do you think any of them gave him their real names? Once you arrested Cartmill, do you think any associates hung around? Word is probably already in Haven by this time. They'll have wiped out all trace of any connection by now."
Bredin had to agree. A Herald Courier could make it to Haven from Hunberston in four days. He'd been here eight days. That was long enough for a private message by ordinary horse.
"People will still say I could have done something." Bredin said morosely.
Mani snorted. "They may. So what? Does that make any difference about what you have to do now?"
He snorted again. "I think you will be surprised, however."
Mani's prediction proved correct.
Bredin made the announcement a candlemark after lunch after gathering as many people in the square as possible. The townspeople were horrified to learn of the trade; they knew that other countries allowed slavery, but it was unthinkable in Valdemar.
Not all of the missing children had been street beggars. A dozen had been stolen taken from loving families. For these, there were mixed feelings: Bredin's news gave them hope that their children might still live but they also dreaded the horrible lives their children might endure.
Far from blaming Bredin, the townspeople praised him for discovering the problem. Bredin credited Lars' gift for showing what had happened, but people still said Bredin was the key. When word leaked out that Haven had sent warnings about the trade, it was Valen Halmar they damned for not following up; the former captain was universally shunned.
The Heralds got few clues from the townspeople. No one recognized the sketches drawn from Lars' hindsight of the mysterious child-buyer. The Heralds and a few trusted members of the Guard searched Cartmill's house thoroughly. All they found was one of the money pouches used to pay Cartmill with a fragment of a merchant's seal still attached. There appeared to have been a 'V' or possibly an 'N' on it.
At last, Bredin called together Father Herbert and the parents of the missing children. He admitted he and the other Heralds had not been able to find anything leading back to the slaver gangs. Mani added that Heralds all over Valdemar had been trying to catch the slavers for the past few years. With the exception of a slaver gang wiped out by the guard near North Evendim, the criminals had so far escaped. Mani promised that the Heralds, the Crown and the Guard would keep looking and trying.
The disappointed parents wept, but thanked Bredin and Mani.
Working together, the four Heralds managed to clear the backlog within a sennight. Lars was happy to have the chance to make judgments so early in his internship; with his gift, he was able to solve a series of house-breakings in a day.
Done, Mani and Bredin promised they would return next year instead of the usual two year rotation. After a final dinner in the White Hart, the four Heralds parted the next morning and headed back to their regular circuits.