Chapter 15 #3
“In the second-floor banquet hall. It is—was—a prized place,” he said.
“Most beautiful views, on a clear night. They said that…that it was proper and good for it to be there, as Zansay would have loved the sight. They began her rites late in the night. They invoked the blessings of Okovpir, the divinity of bridges and paths, to guide her into the afterlife. Then…then Guldeniv, divinity of pastures and blooms. And then they…they should have finished with Kyun, the divinity of the sun. But…”
“But?”
“Then they froze, sir,” he said softly.
“Who?”
“All of them. All of them. The Buravs, both prime and minor. And the servants—footservants and valets and the housekeeper. They all…stopped.” He swallowed.
“Those who had been holding wine, or goblets, or platters—they just dropped them to the floor. Those who had been sitting leapt to their feet. Some who had been in different rooms came to that chamber and stopped. They all stood facing different directions. Then they did nothing. I felt I was going mad. I spoke to them, touched them, shook them. I asked what was happening, if they were all right. Even my friend, the maid Miss Qurban—she did not move, did not answer. She just stared, straight ahead, hardly breathing. It was as if I wasn’t even there.
Then…then I smelled the smoke,” whispered Kozder. “It came pouring up, up the stairs.”
“So the fire started below you?”
“I…assume so,” he murmured. “There came a great heat, and…and I saw the lick of flames down the stairs, and I began screaming. I pulled at the Buravs, tried to haul them away, but they would not move. Yet…” He swallowed again. “Yet as I drew near, I…I realized they were screaming, too.”
“The Buravs were screaming? What do you mean?”
“It was very soft, sir. Like a whisper. As if they were screaming in their sleep. But I could hear it slipping from them, this…this soft, terrified sound. It was so awful. Like children, crying out in a dream!”
I grimaced at mention of a dream. “Then what happened?”
“Then…then Master Jalin came running in.”
“From where? You must tell me exactly, please.”
“I am unsure, but…I believe from the northern wing? That would be where his old bedroom was—as well as Zansay’s.
He heard me screaming and came in and saw me.
Then he stared about, confused. Saw the smoke.
He choked and told me to run. I said I would not leave them, I would not leave his family, and he said he would stay and try to save them.
He shoved me through the halls he’d come from, and…
and last I saw he was trying to pull his father away.
Then came smoke, and flame. I staggered back to the ground floor, and out into the air.
I lost my senses then, for I had swallowed too much fumes. ”
“You didn’t see Jalin Burav escape?”
“I didn’t, sir. I thought he’d died in the fire. He saved my life, though, of that I’m sure. I…I hope the young master recovers soon enough. I shall thank him when I can.”
“I will ask you something very strange now,” I said. “Did you hear any music, sir? Or see anyone play a pipe, or make an unusual sound?”
The fellow stared at me. “I…n-no? I do not believe I did…”
“Thank you. Have you been here at the house long?”
“I told you,” he said, faintly indignant, “that I have served Orman Burav for eleven years! But…I did take leave for much of last month.”
“Did you? Why?”
“My mother was ill. My master permitted me to care for her until she recovered.”
“When did you leave and return to the house?”
He provided me with the dates, and I made a careful note of it. “Did any of the other servants in the banquet hall take their leave? Or leave the house, as you did?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it. We are devoted servants. Why do you ask this, sir?”
I ignored him and moved on, asking him if he had seen any trespassers, or spied any lights in the forests, or noticed any strange behavior among the Buravs or their servants. Bewildered, he told me no to all of these—except when I asked him about their sleep.
“How odd to hear you ask this,” he said. “Because…yes, I do recall such a thing. Master Burilis himself mentioned he had not been sleeping well. As did his aunt, Daqi. And…and my friend Miss Qurban.”
“Did they say why?” I asked. “Did they dream, perhaps?”
“Yes! Yes, they did…They said they’d had the most awful nightmares. Dreams about being trapped, there in the house. Unable to move, unable to leave. Why? How did you know of this?”
“When?” I asked sharply. “When did they complain of this?”
“Well—just after I got back. It was like a shadow had been cast over all the house since I’d been gone.”
“And did you dream at all?”
“No, sir? Again, why? What does this mean?”
I thanked him and let the medikkers take him. Then I stood there, gazing at the ashen house, still steaming and smoking, the air still dancing with flakes of black.
Dreams, and quiet screaming.
I took a breath, waved to Princeps Seriv, and pulled him aside.
“Send a rider to the Orbiis facility in Lacanthim,” I sighed. “And find Commander Tauri. He should be finishing his analysis of Zansay Burav. I need him brought here right away.”
Seriv closed his eyes. “Yes. It’s the web, then.”
“Inarguably. Someone infected and conditioned an entire mansion, including the servants and staff. The question, then, is how—and who else?”