‘What do you do here?’ the guard asks looking me over.

Maker knows I can’t speak, not least because he’d see the S tattoo across my tongue. So I bow my head as if I’m shy and raise my pail of piss. The pail’s movement sends a waft of old piss stink right towards the guard.

‘Maker above, that smells like a jakes,’ he swears.

I nod, letting the pail rock back and forth.

‘Lower the pail, girlie, and move off a bit,’ he directs. ‘They won’t be soaking table linens until after the feast.’

I point towards the field kitchen, making sure to swing the pail widely as I do, so the smell comes stronger. It’s the key to my ruse. I smell so foul, he’ll want to move me along as quick as he can.

Then, from the side of my eyes, I see Black Fingers look over to see what’s taking so long. ‘How now?’ he calls.

The guard’s deciding what to say. I cannot be caught. Black Fingers will kill me. I rock to the side so my feet wobble in my raised, corked shoes. I let the wobble pass up my arm and tip the pail forward so a little wave of piss swells over the side and onto the grass just in front of the guard’s boots.

‘Hey now!’ cries the guard, stirred to decision. ‘Just a laundress,’ he calls back to Black Fingers. The guard covers his nose and mouth. He waves me on. ‘Go on, then. Give your piss to the scullions or what have you. They’ll give you your penny.’

I take a peek towards Black Fingers. His eyes are following as I walk on to the field kitchen.

The smoke of the pit fires burns my eyes. The sun hasn’t quite set, but it’s low enough that I dare to sneak over to the little bluff I found earlier. I climb up. From its top, I can see all along the side of the tents. At one end is the main tent’s entrance where all the highborn folk will go in and out. At the other end is the small tent I just left for plating up food, the field kitchen, and the jakes.

I find a nice flat stone for sitting and place my piss pail a ways off. My disguise worked. Mayhap my plan will succeed, and by evening’s end, I’ll have made good on my vow to Ruth. A wish comes to me, a little wish that’s been creeping towards my heart for days like a vine coming in between the tiles of a roof.

If I catch the killer, mayhap the Maker will forgive me my other sins and I can go to the heavenly plains when I die, instead of suffering at Eve’s side.