MAURICE
Maurice watched with a wry smile as his fellow Conveyor walked on to the floor of the Great Hall alongside the brown haired townswoman. So much for keeping a low profile. They had been sent to Cassel with the strangest mission that Maurice could ever remember having heard of. He had sensed the danger in the situation and had tried to warn his younger colleague, but it seemed that Erle had either failed to understand or had been unable to comply.
Maurice had been given orders which were of the sort that one of the Protector's Conveyors expected. The Conveyor's Company had been created as the Protector's personal messenger's. His mission had been to carry messages from the Protector to the Warden of Margin here in Cassel. He had, of course, not read the dispatch but he had been present when the Warden had revealed its contents to his advisors the previous night. He had been asked to allow the Boundary Guild to investigate crimes which would normally be outside their jurisdiction. The Protector could not instruct the Warden how to act in his own Ward, but the tone of the communication made it clear that the Protector expected his request to be granted. Today's extraordinary proceedings were the Guild's first attempt to test their new authority.
Then had come the unusual orders. Without explanation, he had been told to remain in Cassel at the service of the Warden. Erie's orders had been unprecedented. He had been told to stay in Cassel town, hiding his standing as a Conveyor and keeping a low profile, and to "watch events and report." Erle Baziotes had previously been suspended from active duty after getting involved in a duel. He had spent the time working for his father's Trading Company in Harn. This was his first assignment since returning to the Company. Now, Maurice suspected that the whole episode had been contrived to allow Erle to construct a cover. In other words, he had been sent on a spying mission without being told what he was supposed to be spying on.
So Maurice had been ready for the unexpected when he had taken his place in the Hall. He had watched with professional detachment as the Boundary Guild had attempted to impose its jurisdiction on the case of Marc Haverford. He had watched the Cassel Corporation and the Knight-Holder Konrad of Weald seize upon the Warden's procedural gambit to take control of proceedings away from the Guild. He had drawn the conclusion that the Warden had accepted the desperately difficult task of granting the Protector's request while undermining it at the same time. He had watched the Boundaryman Tinker Foxe inexplicably refuse to Witness. Now he watched Erle and his companion (he realised that she was younger than he had thought at first- this must be her first Council, poor girl) come forward to make their contribution.
The only thing moment had challenged his composure was when the Warden had made a point of catching his eye as he had prepared to give the Boundarymen permission to bring the case to Council. His gaze had said "Watch well, Conveyor, this is why you are here." Maurice may not have known why he and Erle had been sent, but Elias, the Warden of Margin, certainly did.
That did nothing to help Maurice's sense that he found himself at the heart of events that he didn't understand and couldn't control.
ERLE
Erle could sense Rosanna trembling almost imperceptibly, notwithstanding her high chin and straight back, as they stood facing Konrad at the centre of the Great Hall. Konrad smiled reassuringly towards Rosanna and addressed the Hall.
"Council, these two witnessed the events which have been brought before us for consideration. I propose that the floor be opened to their accounts."
A voice was raised from amongst the Boundarymen, Erle could not see to whom it belonged.
"I object!" said the voice, "A girl and an outsider can hardly be considered as Witnesses. That means that even if they are to be heard, their testimony must be questioned. Who will do this?"
Konrad smiled slightly and addressed the speaker, "Aren't you familiar with the procedure? When Council sits as open court, it falls to the Knight-Holder's Bench to question evidence."
Erle was watching the boundarymen for a reaction. There was some whispering involving Aldersparre and Howe with Howe apparently succeeding in assuaging the concern which had been written on Aldersparre's face. Erle guessed that if Howe hadn't expected this he had at least planned for the contingency.
"Then, Council, I shall speak." That came from one of the other Knight-Holders.
"Council," said this strikingly handsome man, richly dressed in blue and red, the colours of Cassel and Margin. "I am Ksaver, the Knight-Holder of March. I claim the right to question the testimony of these people." His manner was arrogant, thought Erle, characteristic of the sort of noble one found in the north, although unusual in Erle's limited experience of Margin.
Konrad hesitated and then deferred to general muttering around the Hall. It seemed that Ksaver was less well thought of than Konrad. Ksaver didn't deign to notice.
"First, we must find out who these people are. Rosanna Capell, I understand, is a native of my Hold in March who has lived here in Cassel since the death of her Parents in the Visitation ten years hence. She lives here with her uncle, Felix Beebe, who is an Innkeeper and member of Cassel Corporation. This is the first time she has been considered mature enough to attend Council." He eyed Rosanna. "Is that correct?"
Rosanna swallowed a couple of times as she gathered herself to reply. Even so, she could only manage a clearly spoken "yes." Erle knew that she would hate the implication that she was too young for her testimony to be trusted. Erle supposed that she was also surprised that this Knight-Holder, one of the most powerful men in Margin, knew so much about her. Some of it, Erle knew, could have been taken from the earlier proceedings. Her age could have been guessed. As for her history in March? Well perhaps he knew his Ward that well. More likely than all that, though, was that Ksaver had known what the Guild was going to do here and had been prepared to intervene. The only question to answer was who's side he would be on.
"Erle Baziotes announces himself as 'stranger and visitor'. He has told people in the town that he is the son of a merchant from the capital who is acting as his father's representative in the South. He has been in Harn for the past four months, during which time he negotiated a contract to transport salt from Harn and Margin to the capital. Since salt is an important part of my Ward's economy, I took it upon myself to find out about this Trading Company. Its reputation is impeccable. Erle Baziotes reputation is not. He is known in Harn, after a mere three months, as a rogue who has been involved in two bar fights and with a married woman." He smiled frostily. "Is that correct?"
So decision time has arrived, thought Erle. He had no idea if Ksaver was telling the truth about how he knew all this, but there wasn't time to worry about that now. His job with his father's Trading Company was a front for his mission. His father was a retired conveyor himself and had co-operated with the plan to allow Erle to be stationed in the South discreetly. His 'reputation' in Harn was almost entirely contrived. The bar fights had been nothing to do with him, he had just been caught up in them and defended himself. The married woman was a complete fabrication dreamt up by a business rival which he had decided not to deny given that he was, after all, supposed to be a rogue.
So now he could tell Council that and reveal his mission. If he told Council that he was a Conveyor, they would not doubt his Witness. But he would destroy his own mission. He had been ordered not to reveal his membership of the Company and disobeying a direct order would not be wise on his first mission back after his suspension. But the alternative was to allow himself to be thought of as untrustworthy. That would decrease his chances of swaying Council. And it would lower Rosanna's opinion of him. He knew he couldn't afford those sorts of thoughts, now of all times, but he couldn't help himself.
He made his decision. He had to obey orders.
"Yes," he said, "all that is correct." He could feel disapproving eyes upon him, most painfully those of Rosanna beside him.
"So, now that we know who will speak, we shall hear what they have to say. Council, I call upon Rosanna Capell to speak."