The heroes’ smiles faded a little. Laruna shook her head with the sort of perplexed smirk one might reserve for a child asking pointed questions as to the whereabouts of royal undergarments. “Well, no, he wouldn’t want us exposing this on stage. You can’t let that sort of accusation go unanswered, and all of the evidence is on our side.”
“Well, sure, but what’s to stop him from answering with an accusation of his own?” asked Burt. “Maybe say you faked all of it.”
“Maybe it gets messy on stage,” Gorm conceded. “But at the end of the day, a full investigation will have to be opened, and the facts are on our side.”
Jynn grimaced. “That’s seldom enough,” he said, nodding to Burt. “Consider who will appoint the investigators.”
“I see what you’re saying,” said Kaitha. “But there are certain norms that govern the nobility. They have to appoint impartial lawyers.”
“The guy who lit his own subjects on fire and blamed a made-up dragon to jack up the hoard’s market valuation is gonna follow norms and ethics.” The Kobold took another drag of his cigarette and chuckled mirthlessly at some hidden joke. “Yeah, all right. Thing is, Lightlings have been playing at decency for as long as Slaughs have liked slime, and all that time they’ve been murdering and pillaging our people and each other every way you turn. No matter how firm an ethos is, someone will always find a way to bend or shift it until there’s a good angle for them. People don’t want to be ethical. They want to believe they’re ethical, and there’s a lot of skeletons in the gap between those two.”
“Can’t say you’re wrong, but what else can Johan do?” asked Gorm.
“Blame it all on you,” said the Kobold. “Say you fabricated the evidence in a plot.”
“We got proof that he an’ his temple were behind the scheme to kill Freedlanders.”
Burt waved the idea away with his cigarette, sending trails of smoke zigzagging lazily into the air. “Proof is no better than a lie if people don’t want to believe it. And even if they were willing to accept the Golden King as a murderer, you’re making them accept that there’s no dragon too.”
“And that the dragon’s hoard they’ve been investing in is worthless.” Kaitha sucked in a deep breath through her teeth. “How many billions of giltin are invested in the Dragon of Wynspar’s hoard?”
“Enough to collapse the whole economy,” said Laruna.
“Or they can believe your shiny king,” said Burt. “The people love him. The temples see him as one of their own. The Wall is having its best run in years. And we’re going to march in and say we have a few documents that show it’s all a lie?”
“Such things are hard for people to believe, especially if they’re true,” Heraldin said.
Gaist nodded.
“Now you’re seein’ it,” said Burt. “All Johan has to do is offer a different story that people like better.”
“So they can find a new villain elsewhere,” said Jynn softly. “Like the six standing before him on stage.”
A thought struck Gorm. “It’s one of them empirical offenses.”
The others gave him a confused look. “A what?” asked Heraldin.
“Ye know. The bit from thrones—a big obvious line of attack with a clever one behind it.”
“The Imperial Offense?”
“That’s the one. We saw the big attack, the fake quest into the dungeon. But I’m bettin’ that one’s the ruse, and Johan wants us to try to dodge out of it by showin’ what evidence we have.” He squinted his eyes until they were thin slits, as though he could see the scenarios play out in front of his face if he just focused hard enough. “The king gets all of us on stage so everyone hears our accusation and we make it as big as we can. He denies it, and acts shocked it was us who attacked the Tandosians. Easy enough to clean out the facility in the Winter’s Shade and make it look like it was a simple monastery or somethin’. Some loyal bannermen will be happy to declare there’s no evidence of wrongdoin’ by the Tandosians. Suddenly, we’re vandals and cowards, and then we all get thrown in the Guild Enforcement Office’s dungeon. And with the public turnin’ against us, Johan can have us hanged or strangled in our beds without losin’ face. And then he can have his fake dragons kill with impunity, but without us muckin’ up his plans.”
“That… makes sense,” said Kaitha.
“The trap behind the trap.” Heraldin nodded.
“Thank ye, Burt.” Gorm nodded to his friend. “Ye’ve saved us again.”
“What can I say? I’ve got a knack for reading people’s motivations,” said the Kobold.
“You’re a savant at thinking like an evil bastard,” said Heraldin.
“It’s the company I keep,” Burt shot back.
Kaitha ignored the Kobold and bard. “I’m not so sure we’re saved,” she said to Gorm. “It’s good that we know what Johan plans to do, but whether or not we make our accusations, he can still bribe the bannermen and clean out the facility.”
The Dwarf smirked. “Oi! Bard! Don’t ye use the Imperial Offense in thrones all the time?”
“Long ago. It was my favorite tactic when I was young. But when you play against a skilled opponent, it doesn’t work.” Heraldin looked at Gaist askance. “Someone who knows the game well can counter it every time.”
“And how do they counter it?” asked Gorm, eyes still locked with the ranger’s.
“The key to defeating the Imperial Offense is not to fall for the ruse or try to cover your flank. If you play defensively, the game is already lost. But if you call the opponent’s bluff and push straight… through…”
“Aye,” said Gorm softly.
The bard’s eyebrows made a sudden break for the safety of his hairline. “You madman,” said Heraldin. “You can’t mean…”
Kaitha shook her head. “Gorm…”
Gorm grinned and bared his teeth at the same time.
Chapter 19
“We accept the quest,” said Gorm Ingerson.
“Pardon?” asked Johan the Mighty, staring down at the six heroes kneeling at the base of the throne’s podium.
