Chapter 27 #2
“Hold on a second,” Kurtz said. “Let’s not jump past Verdot, eh? He’s exploiting the prisoners, he is. Probably selling them overpriced goods and pocketing the extra coin.”
Zanna tapped her mug. “Families send money to Verdot, thinking it’ll help their loved ones. Verdot buys goods from Nash Erlichman, who uses Thusk to ship them in. Prices are exorbitant, and they split the profits while prisoners who can’t pay starve.”
Cole turned to Kurtz. “Can prisoners in the Prodotez purchase perks?”
“Depends. Ice Island is a marketplace for corruption. Guards sell everything: softer beds, better food, contraband. If you have coin, you can buy your way out of hard labor, pay for protection, make your enemies suffer. If you can’t pay, you’re nothing to them.
I couldn’t afford it. I also think Verdot saw to it that Eagan and I received no leniency or privileges. ”
“You didn’t qualify.” Mistel quirked one eyebrow.
“Nope,” Kurtz said.
Cole’s stomach churned at the thought of Crispen rotting away there. “Did you ever get out of the Pit? For walks or fresh air?”
Kurtz laughed bitterly. “No, and neither did Eagan. Gavin tried bribing Verdot, but Verdot always claimed his hands were tied by someone higher up.”
“Who’s above Verdot?” Cole asked.
“That’s what we’d all like to know,” Zanna said.
“It used to be the Council of Seven,” Kurtz said. “They’re who voted to put me there, but none of them are the same people today.”
“Could it be Falkson?” Cole asked.
Kurtz snapped his fingers. “I like that, I do. If Falkson controls Thusk, he likely has Verdot too.”
“I noticed Verdot Amal called Jaira Hamartano Princess Jaira,” Cole said.
Kurtz grimaced. “I caught that too. Verdot seems to have all the wrong friends.”
“Is there a list of the missing?” Mistel asked.
“No official one,” Zanna said. “Ice Island holds just over a thousand cells, not counting the Pit. Floors ten and eleven are for women. Nine of the 152 women on the island have vanished. When women disappear, we notice.”
“Oren has a list from people who filed complaints about not being able to communicate with their incarcerated family or friends,” Kurtz said. “Some petitioned priests, others sought Lady Revada’s help. Since Lord Edik’s death, concerns have been raised for thirty-eight prisoners.”
“Which means the number is likely higher,” Zanna added. “Many prisoners have no one to ask after them.”
“If Verdot and Thusk are moving prisoners,” Mistel said, “why? What’s the purpose?”
“Boar sold to Jaelport,” Cole said.
“But why send prisoners there?” Mistel asked.
“Slavery is rampant in Cela Duchy,” Zanna said.
“But even if they take prisoners through that tunnel,” Mistel said, “how do they move them to a ship? Someone must have seen something.”
“We need to check Thusk’s warehouse,” Cole said. “Unless Kurtz can see through the Veil.”
Kurtz shook his head and took a long sip from his mug. “Never mastered that magic. We’ll have to do it the hard way.”
“I work the next two nights,” Zanna said. “You’ll have to wait until I’m free.”
“We’ll wait,” Kurtz said. “What about West? How do we prove his innocence?”
Mistel tapped her finger on the table. “There must be court records,” she said.
Kurtz chuckled. “Think Ice Island keeps good records, do you?”
“To be sentenced to twenty years, there must have been evidence.” Zanna leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Did Prince Oren mention witnesses?”
Kurtz set down his mug and leaned forward. “The dead man’s wife saw the whole thing, he did. But Crispen swore he never met the tailor or his wife.”
Cole scribbled the words “not guilty” on his parchment. “He was framed. Admitted as much to me.”
“Then someone must have seen something,” Zanna said. “We’ll start asking around.”
Cole nodded, his mind racing. What would life be like if his father were free? He pictured him clapping along as Cole and Mistel performed “The Sparrow that Was a She,” and his heart ached. He wanted such a future for Uncle Crispen—his father. He still couldn’t believe it.
Somewhere in Tsaftown, the truth was waiting. And Cole would find it, no matter how many lies he had to unravel.
That night, Cole lay in bed at the Ivory Spit, thinking about his father and how Prince Oren had known they were related.
Only Sir Caleb could have told the prince that, as he was the first person who had interviewed Cole in Mitspah after Achan had taken him on to help with the horses.
“Kurtz, can you ask Sir Caleb to bloodvoice me?”
“Certainly,” Kurtz said. “Give me a second, eh?”
Cole tucked his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. A moment later, he heard Sir Caleb’s voice in his head.
Sir Caleb Agros.
Cole lowered his shields and thought, Thank you for voicing me.
Happy to. How have you been?
Cold. Today I found out that Crispen West is my father. Did you know?
Gracious me, I did not. Lord Yarden told me that the woman who sold you to him said Crispen West was your uncle, that he’d been arrested and couldn’t care for you.
Why didn’t you tell me he was alive?
It never occurred to me that you might not know. He’s your father?
So he says. And he has a lot of freckles.
Sir Caleb laughed. Well, that settles it.
He was falsely accused, like Kurtz and Sir Eagan. I have to prove it. I have to get him out.
Someone went to great lengths to frame him and likely won’t want the truth uncovered.
But that’s why we’re here, Cole thought.
You’ll get to the bottom of it, Sir Caleb voiced. I’m glad your father is alive, Cole. I’ll pray Arman leads you to the answers you seek.
Thank you, Sir Caleb. Goodnight.
Goodnight, Cole.
Cole raised his shields, picturing Crispen West’s freckled, gaunt face. He thought of Duke Hamartano’s accusations of being poisoned. The many Thusk Shipping Exchange crates at Ice Island. The underground tunnel. The missing people.
The words Tom Raven had said to Verdot Amal in his office surfaced, how Verdot could fix something but refused to.
Cole needed to know what “it” was. Tom Raven likely had answers about the Ice Island prison. Maybe about his father too. If Cole could talk with that clerk, he just might find out what was going on.