“Captain Taniel Two-Shot is a military hero on two continents,” Fell said. “You might eschew politics, but you will destroy popular opinion of this war and of your command if the captain is executed.”
“I don’t care for public opinion. Leave this court.”
“General Ket,” Fell said emphatically, “if Taniel Two-Shot is executed, the factories will shut down in protest. Replacement boots, uniforms, buttons, musket kits, shirts, and hats will stop coming to the front. Hrusch Avenue will cease to produce rifles and muskets. The newspapers will make sure every single soul in Adopest knows that Taniel Two-Shot, hero of Adro, son of the supposedly late, and most definitely great Field Marshal Tamas, has been executed on trumped-up charges.”
“Are you threatening me, Miss…?”
“Fell.”
“Fell.” Ket rounded the table and crossed the room, gesturing to the provosts. “Are you threatening this war effort?”
Fell put a hand to her chest in shock. “Me? Threaten you? By Kresimir, General Ket, I would never think to threaten you. After all, I can see Taniel’s face right there, tenderized like a side of beef by your provosts. I wouldn’t want to end up like that. No, I am merely providing context for the consequences of the decision of this court.”
“Your master controls the unions. Therefore, you’re threatening me.”
“No.” Fell waggled her finger like a parent scolding a child. “My master heads the unions. The unions have the power to strike, and Mr. Tumblar cannot stop them if they so desire. Do you want that to happen?”
Ket leaned in toward Fell. To her credit, the undersecretary did not so much as flinch.
“This court is in recess for one hour!” Ket whirled and stormed out of the tent, followed by the other generals.
Fell dragged a chair up to the middle of the room. She waved her hand at the provosts flanking Taniel, and they hesitantly took a step back. Fell deposited the chair beside Taniel and sat down.
Taniel studied Fell for a moment. She was dressed sharply, looking far more a businesswoman than an undersecretary or personal assistant. Her eyes, though, were tired, and Taniel could see a recent scar on her cheek covered by a layer of face powder. She reached into her pocket and removed a brown bag. “Cashew?”
Taniel didn’t know what to make of the woman. She, and her master, could have very well just saved Taniel’s life… but a man like Ricard always had his price.
“You’re going to owe Ricard a great deal if you live through this,” Fell said in a low voice.
And there it was. “I didn’t ask for his help.”
“No, but he gave it. You’re an honorable man, aren’t you, Taniel?”
The idea of owing Ricard Tumblar anything made Taniel’s stomach turn.
“What’s Ricard’s price?”
“Three years,” Fell said. “As a politician. You’ll be expected to attend galas and address the public. Everything will be scheduled for you. When you’re not in the public eye, you can do anything you want — bed whomever, smoke all the mala in the world. Not a hard life at all.” Fell shrugged. “But if Ricard happens to die or be killed, you’ll have to step up as prime minister of Adro.”
“I don’t want that.”
Fell gave him a tight smile. “Then you’re more qualified for the job than Ricard is.”
Taniel wondered if that was something that Ricard himself would have said, or if the undersecretary had just made a jab at her master.
“I thought that Hrusch Avenue hadn’t unionized.” Taniel glanced meaningfully toward the tent flap where the generals had exited.
“
“Is Ricard serious about those threats?”
“I’d rather not find out.”
A bluff, then. Taniel had to give credit to Ricard. Bluffing the senior staff of the Adran army took courage. “Has Ricard ever tried blackmailing Tamas?”
“Oh, pit no. Tamas would have strung Ricard up like a marionette.”
“I’m glad to hear he has limits.”
The hour-long recess for the court stretched into two hours, and then into three. Mihali served coffee and another round of cake.
Taniel couldn’t help wondering where the pit the generals had gotten to. What could be taking them so long?
“This is a good thing, you know,” Fell said between bites of cake.
Colonel Etan, his chair wheeled up beside Taniel, agreed. “At this point, the sentencing requires a four-out-of-five vote. If they’d returned at the hour, or earlier, it would not have looked good for you. They’ve been arguing this whole time, which means that more generals than just General Hilanska are trying to save your skin.”
The tent flap was swept aside, and the generals reentered the room. Fell and Etan both retreated to the back, and the generals took their chairs.
Ket examined Taniel for several moments before speaking. The anger had left her eyes. Steely determination replaced it. “This court,” she said, “has found the defendant guilty of treason. We have decided to drop the remainder of the charges and commute upon the guilty one sentence, to be carried out immediately:
