Page 13 of The Warrior Priest
“Brother Rhys is right,” came the thinner voice of the high priest. “It’s too late. The governor has the power he has coveted since gaining office. It’s only a matter of time before he wields it.”
“I suspect he’ll target thieves first,” Master Tomaj said. “He seems set on eradicating theft altogether without fixing the poverty at its root.”
“I believe you are right, Tomaj. I have it on good authority that the governor wishes to push through a change to the sentencing of convicted thieves. He wants them put to death and all their belongings confiscated, as well as the property of their family members.”
I was no longer a thief, but the thought chilled me to the bone. A death sentence for stealing a loaf of bread to feed a family was horrifically cruel.
“Even worse,” the high priest went on, “the governor wants anyone who makes an accusation of rape to be held accountable if the rapist is found innocent. They’ll be ordered to pay an exorbitant fine to the man they accused. Since the magistrate is the governor’s puppet, and it’s near impossible to prove rape anyway, no woman will dare come forward.”
“Why?” Rhys exploded. “Why target the victims like that?”
“I believe it’s in response to the rumors about his deputy. Apparently a woman accused him of rape. The governor is protecting his own.”
Master Tomaj muttered something under his breath. In a louder voice, he added, “I thought he was a decent man when he first took office. I can’t believe I read him so poorly.”
“You weren’t the only one,” the high priest said wryly. “He was good at first. Then after he lost his niece in the fire…he changed.”
I could have told them he hadn’t changed. He’d simply begun to show his true self where before he’d hidden it behind a mask of civility.
“Something must be done to stop him,” the high priest went on. “Do either of you have suggestions?”
“I defer to you both on that score,” Rhys said.
“No, Brother. You are the second now. You must make the tough decisions alongside your master.”
Rhys drew in a deep breath. “Very well. I propose we involve the dukes and lords. They don’t want to see all the power of Tilting in the hands of one man any more than we do.”
“They don’t care about Tilting. Their interests lie in affairs of the kingdom, not its city.”
“The affairs of Tiltingarethe affairs of Glancia,” Rhys countered.
The high priest paused before saying, “You have good insights and instincts, Brother. This is why you were chosen. But I know the two dukes well, and they will not care if Tilting becomes the playground of a despot as long as he leaves matters of the kingdom to them. If they see the governor removing undesirables from the city then they won’t care how he gets rid of them. You credit them with too much sense and feeling.”
“His Eminence is right,” Master Tomaj added. “With affairs of the kingdom so perilously close to boiling over, the only people who care about Tilting matters are its residents. If we want to save its people then we must be prepared to protect them with whatever means are at our disposal.”
“You’re proposing we go to war against the governor’s men?” Rhys sounded incredulous.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” the high priest said.
“We need to exert our power, Your Eminence,” Master Tomaj said. “The governor must be reminded that he cannot do as he pleases. Give me the word and I will flex our muscle and intimidate him into behaving.”
“None of the religious orders can intervene in local matters, especially the warrior priests. We must remain impartial.”
Frustration tightened the grizzled features on Master Tomaj’s face. He seemed keen to resolve the matter quickly using the means at his disposal, namely an elite fighting force primed for battle.
“If we’re not using brute force to stop him, diplomacy is what we have left,” Rhys said.
Neither of the other two commented.
“Isn’t it?” Rhys pressed.
“We’ll think on it,” the high priest said. He reentered the carriage and bade Rhys and Master Tomaj good day before instructing his driver to continue.
I continued to watch as Rhys and the master reentered the temple complex via the gate. I should have been watching the carriage instead. I didn’t pay it any attention until it stopped near me.
“You there,” came the high priest’s voice. “Don’t move, lad. I want to speak to you.”
I glanced at the gate, now firmly closed.
