“I know that,” Yawa snapped. “So offer honey from a bee that never stung. Offer them letters of pardon from Governor Heingyl Ri.”

By now Baru was quite accustomed to Heingyl Ri’s name floating up from the mist at every opportunity: the woman obviously had Yawa’s favor. “You want them in her debt, don’t you. You want your stooge to look merciful.”

“Of course I do! Ri needs to build her reputation as a peacemaker. Imagine how powerful it would look if she were to pardon these rebels and return them safely home. A message for the rebel North. All is forgiven, no harm done: let us go back to growing prosperous.” Yawa spread her gloves. “Baru, it would be good for Aurdwynn.”

And Yawa would get Dziransi from the bargain, Baru figured. Her key to the Stakhieczi door.

Remember the man in the iron circlet!

Remember the ledger—

It was so tempting. Just be rid of them. Be rid of the need to think about them, to consider their well-being, to remember how you hurt them.

But Tain Hu’s voice would not stop echoing. Freedom granted by your rulers is just a chain with a little slack.…

If Baru died today, she would die having done nothing for Aurdwynn, or even for Taranoke.

How long could she delay? How much power would she insist on gathering before she did even one good thing for the people she’d stepped on? You couldn’t manipulate people like little pawns forever. You had to remember that they were their own autonomy, their own power, self-moving, and you had to trust in that—

What was the sense of accumulating all this power if it never went to the people who needed it most?

“No,” Baru breathed, and then, with confidence now, “no, we’re not giving them to Heingyl Ri. I know what to do.”

“Baru, Heingyl Ri is Aurdwynn now—”

She went back toward the curtained door. Yawa rose to come after her and Baru blocked her way. “Get out,” Baru ordered. “Take Iscend and go outside. I won’t have you listen to this.”

Yawa’s eyes slitted behind the dark mask. “You can’t bar me from an interrogation.”

“Of course I can,” Baru said, flatly. “I can do anything I please, Yawa, because when they put your twin brother on trial for grand treason, they’ll call for my testimony. You do want me favorably disposed, don’t you?”

“Are you threatening me?”

“That’s how it works here. That’s how this game is played. Leverage.”

She was too exhilarated by her new plan to feel any guilt at the terror and pain in Yawa’s eyes; or, at least, to feel it right then.

*   *   *

AKE and her committee stared at Baru.

Baru hunched over the paper and wrote and wrote and reached for more paper and wrote some more.