Page 85 of Paladin's Hope
“Most certainly,” said the nun. “Polly, will you consult the book?”
With the aid of Polly—who had definitely not been a nun at any point in her life, and had a saucy tattoo across her décolletage—they were able to determine the guard post where Earstripe had been taken. It was not the closest one to the gnole warren, which was both unsurprising and infuriating.
“They didn’t want Mallory to intervene,” said Stephen, as they emerged onto the street. “It seems they are not quite certain of him either.”
“They’ll be a lot less certain once he testifies that he fired Earstripe,” muttered Piper.
“Oh, it won’t come to that,” said Stephen.
Piper looked surprised. “You don’t think?”
Stephen had worked more closely with the guard than any of them. “I think that the report will be quietly buried and those who pushed for it will get a stern talking-to for having embarrassed the commander. And Mallory, I fear, will bear the brunt. It will be decided that he is responsible for not having stopped the process, even though he had no way to do so. I suspect that he will not be a captain much longer. Possibly not even a guard.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t have a great deal of sympathy,” said Galen.
Stephen sighed. “I do,” he admitted. “He was a good man, I think, when he started. I feel badly for that man, if not for the one he has become. I suspect that man would be horrified by what he is now. Perhaps he will yet find redemption.”
Galen started to say that he didn’t believe in redemption, and then Piper took his hand and he realized that he hoped quite desperately that redemption was possible. At least for some of us.
Once they arrived at their destination, Piper released his hand. It was full dark now, and the lamplighters were walking with candles on long poles. Two gnoles were waiting in the shadows outside the guard post.
“I suppose we could have just asked you where he was held,” said Piper. “I should have thought.”
“No worries, bone-doctor,” said one, and grinned with all his sharp teeth. “Ours says that a healer-human is coming to free a gnole from a guard burrow. Gnoles know to wait.”
“Ours had more confidence than I did,” muttered Piper.
“I never doubted,” said Galen, which was not actually true.
One of the gnoles gave him a look, and Galen was fairly sure the gnole could tell he was lying, but the gnole didn’t call him out on it.
They squared their shoulders and went in. Stephen presented the release paperwork and the guard on duty reached for it, read the name and nodded. Galen was prepared for another fight, but the man was crisp and professional. “He’s been placed in the solitary cell,” he said.
“Solitary!” Piper’s outrage blazed off him. “What could he possibly have done?”
“Possessed a skull narrow enough to fit through the bars of the other cells,” said the guard. “Our facilities were not built to handle gnoles. Would you care to accompany me, sir?”
“I would, yes,” said Stephen.
Piper moved to follow and Galen caught his arm. The doctor might be familiar with death, but there was enough suffering in such a place to wound him, no matter how impressively competent he had proved himself to be. “They’ll be out in a moment.”
“If he’s injured…”
“Then we will know in short order.”
It was a minor eternity before the door opened again and Stephen emerged with a familiar striped figure. “Earstripe,” said Piper, flinging himself to his knees. “Are you hurt? How’s your leg? Was it very bad?”
The gnole actually laughed. “Nah, bone-doctor, a gnole is well enough. Stiff but not hurt. A gnole went quietly.”
“I am so very sorry,” said Galen, also dropping to his knees. “It was all my fault.”
“Guard-humans arrested a gnole, tomato-man. Tomato-man does not work for the guard.”
“Yes, but…”
“Perhaps we might discuss this on the way back to the warren,” said Stephen gently. “And not in the middle of the floor.”
“Yes, of course.” Piper took Galen’s hand as the paladin pulled him up. “Do we need to call a coach? Can you walk far?”