An acting governor is a temporary bandage, no better than Rhaena Olwak.
Ariane had her Militia, like the Lady had hers.
The Vice-Governor is -- is a broken piece of skin.
All her words. All like rocks rattling inside her.
Autumn's colors and a Lady's crests had left bruises in Myrken Wood. The seamstress could feel them, marks on her skin, softness under the muscles, blemishes indelibly inked by Black Hour, a single stretch in time that had left hundreds without their knowledge. Several weeks of human time lost in a bleak collection of sixty compressed minutes. And despite the hole the Hour had left in her brain, she knew one name from which she might find answers.
This time she would not break glass.
Dear Lord Aubary, C. Helstone,
Perhapes you remember me, I am the young lady with whome many months ago you corraspondit in great detail regarding matters of the LAW and EMOSION and now I write to you for that there are fears I have got that no others in Myrken Wood may comfort.
You see those many months ago when I wrought to you I asked is it to "betray the Law or to undermine a friendship" and now I must confess I am very confused and also very frightened, for just these past few weeks:
ONE, a tyerant has been disposed of in a very violent way;
TWO, a replacing group of offiseals has taken the seats abandoned by her death and Msa. Burnie's absents;
THREE, in recent months the Marshall has been taken ill with a disease of memory as have many others, as have all of us;
FOUR, there has been a linechin hanging of a man or so I have heard and I have seen the lines of very displeased townspeople demanding holes be filled after the Lady's death;
You are very far away and may have the best advice, you see I am just of fifteen circles years old and if I do not trust in myself how may an acting governor, a vise-governor who is in the infirmary, a comprimised marshall, a halve-split militia and a weakened government be trusted to do what is best, in Jernoah this is often solved in blood and I fear very much it may be solved in blood again, I do not know very much of geo-graphie or carotgraphie but myrken wood is surrounded by many other lands, yes? with many people who have got good minds, yes?
how does one who is fifteen years old and also an Inquisitor have the bravery to stand before a council of some friends and ask that they, so that one Lady is not replaced by another kind of one, relink relinquetch their command until all of our minds have been deemed clear of influence,
is this feasible, am I mad, another man shoult not be hanged, matters were meant to be resolved but I have since seen a Constable who is as large as a house and just like a beast. Never before have I seen such a thing -- do you understand why I am afraid?
Please advise,
Yours,
G.W.
By sunrise, a courier had been provided the note, stamped with a blot of gray wax pressed in by a thumb. From her dress-pockets she procured her last few bits of coin -- two shillings and a half-penny -- which she ground into the courier's palm and asked that the delivery be very rapid.