Witchsign. Den Patrick

a softness to the voice despite the anger. The person behind the angular mask was a woman. She was perhaps an inch or two taller than Steiner, with a long-limbed, rangy physique. ‘I asked you a question, boy.’

      ‘The Vigilant was crushing that boy to death.’ He pointed at Maxim, still splayed across the cobbles. ‘I tried to stop him.’

      The woman crossed to the unmoving boy and removed a thick leather glove before feeling for a pulse. Her shoulders slumped and Steiner could hear her sigh even with the mask on.

      ‘Is he dead?’ asked Steiner, but the Vigilant didn’t answer. She stood slowly, collecting herself, then raised her voice.

      ‘I am Matriarch-Commissar Felgenhauer. While you are on this island you will obey my commands. You will anticipate my commands. You will comport yourselves in a manner befitting an Imperial Vigilant.’ She crossed a few steps to Shirinov and looked over his shoulder at the novices behind him.

      ‘From the lowliest newcomer, to the thorniest Ordinary or most hallowed Exarch.’ She leaned closer to Shirinov. ‘You will behave like servants of the Empire. Do you understand?’

      All present in the square nodded except Shirinov.

      ‘Do you understand?’ said Felgenhauer, her voice quiet, but no less threatening for the lack of volume.

      Shirinov bowed his head. ‘Of course, Matriarch-Commissar.’

      Felgenhauer turned her attention back to Maxim.

      ‘And what exactly did this child do to threaten our continued existence?’ Maxim had never looked smaller as Felgenhauer stood over him. Steiner wanted to rush to the boy’s side and see if he still breathed.

      ‘He spoke out,’ mumbled Shirinov. ‘He accused me of being wrong.’

      ‘Wrong?’ said Felgenhauer ‘Wrong how, exactly?’

      ‘He said the hammer-wielder doesn’t have witchsign.’

      ‘Is it true?’ asked Felgenhauer, her voice loaded with indignation.

      ‘Of course it’s not true.’ Shirinov’s chin lifted and his hands clenched into fists. ‘I’ve conducted scores of Invigilations and never been wrong.’

      Felgenhauer turned her back to him, her angular mask intimidating as the firelight gleamed and shone from its edges.

      ‘Do you have a name, boy?’

      ‘Steiner.’

      Felgenhauer paused, as if her line of thought had been broken by that single word.

      ‘And where do you hail from, Steiner?’

      ‘Cinderfell,’ he replied. The Matriarch-Commissar took a moment to compose her next question, then cleared her throat instead. Steiner felt the intensity of her gaze and set his eyes straight ahead. The Matriarch-Commissar circled him, much as Shirinov had done in the school square.

      ‘The Solmindre Empire preach that witchsign is a taint, something to be feared, something to be despised.’ Her voice was loud enough to carry to every corner of the square and all the novices and students listened intently, wearing expressions of awe.

      ‘We do this so the people will gladly give over their children, we do this so people are glad to be rid of them. To be rid of you. In truth the Empire would be nothing without witchsign.’

      She had circled behind Steiner now, yet he could feel the weight of her regard upon him, a tangible force upon his shoulders.

      ‘Witchsign is power, but all power comes at a cost, as you will find out in the days, months and years ahead. Those who wield the greatest power know little peace.’ She continued pacing, coming full circle until she faced Steiner and pressed her masked face close to his. ‘There is witchsign here!’

      ‘As I always said,’ replied Shirinov, wiping the blood from his mask with the back of a gloved hand.

      ‘This is so,’ added Khigir.

      Steiner swallowed in a dry throat, then shook his head, confused.

      Felgenhauer turned to the two Vigilants, and Steiner saw them for what they were: two old men, attired in frayed finery, dressed up with self-importance.

      ‘Put down the sledgehammer and remove your boots,’ said Felgenhauer without turning.

      ‘W-what?’ replied Steiner.

      ‘I said, “Put down the sledgehammer and remove your boots,”’ she bellowed.

      ‘I’m not deaf,’ mumbled Steiner.

      ‘You’re not stupid either,’ said the Matriarch-Commissar. ‘So don’t ever dream of speaking back to me again.’

      Steiner relinquished the gifts Romola had given him just a few hours before. The sledgehammer made a dull scrape on the flagstones as he set it down. One boot followed another and the cold crept into the soles of his feet through the worn wool of his socks. Felgenhauer drew close and Steiner forced himself to look at the dragon, wreathed in terrible flames, anything to be spared the piercing eyes of the Matriarch-Commissar. She picked up one of the boots and spent a few seconds inspecting it as if it were a precious jewel or sacred relic.

      ‘Nice boots,’ she said quietly.

      ‘Thanks,’ mumbled Steiner on instinct. ‘My mother gave them to me,’ he added, without really knowing why.

      Felgenhauer turned to Shirinov and shook her head.

      ‘You fool! Can you not tell the difference between witchsign and enchanted boots? How many years have you served, how many decades?’

      ‘Boots?’ replied Shirinov. ‘What enchanted boots?’

      ‘What?’ moaned Khigir.

      ‘I’ve more arcane power in my smallest finger than this boy does in his whole body,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘How could you make such a mistake?’

      Khigir shook his head and Shirinov could only hold out placating hands.

      ‘This is most irregular.’

      ‘What am I supposed to do with a boy without witchsign?’ said the Matriarch-Commissar.

      ‘I’m a man really,’ said Steiner. ‘I turned eighteen last—’

      ‘Shut up,’ said Felgenhauer quietly.

      ‘How could I know the boy wore enchanted boots?’ replied Shirinov. ‘Peasants don’t possess such items. I’m sure he wasn’t wearing—’

      ‘Be quiet,’ said Felgenhauer.

      Khigir stepped forward. ‘Only the very highest-ranking—’

      ‘I said be quiet!’ growled Felgenhauer.

      Shirinov’s shoulder’s slumped and he clutched his walking stick with both hands. Khigir all but cowered behind him.

      ‘This is unprecedented,’ stated Felgenhauer. The other Vigilants conferred among themselves, the snarling wolf face turning to a Vigilant wearing a silver oval, blank of any feature including eyes. Steiner felt sure he was being watched despite the omission. There was a faint haze around the Vigilant, and motes of grit flared silver before burning up.

      The Matriarch-Commissar turned to the Vigilant with the blank silver face.

      ‘Silverdust, take these soldiers and escort the boy to my office. Don’t take your eyes off him.’ Felgenhauer’s eyes glittered behind the angular mask.

      ‘What will happen to me?’ asked Steiner.

      ‘You raised a weapon against a member of the Holy Synod. Such crimes do not go unpunished, and on Vladibogdan the punishments are severe.’

      The Vigilant called Silverdust drew close, raised one hand and gestured for Steiner to follow.