Marshal Poss Primus surprised King Demos by accepting his order with very little protest. It was when the order came that Primus first began to wonder if Demos was involved in the cabal, and he was a bit surprised at himself for never having considered that, before. However, the reasons Demos gave for the order were valid, so Primus wasn't ready to make any assumptions, just yet. More importantly, he felt certain that if he didn't carry out the order, someone else would. And whether Demos were in the cabal or not, there was an excellent chance that whoever followed the order would be. Primus preferred to remain in charge of the situation, so that he might ensure the safety of Colonel Supprus and the men and women under his command, even after they were taken into custody and transported to Near Port to stand trial for treason. This time, he would be sure there was a trial, because he would preside over it personally.

Sending troops from Near Port to Triscot would have taken nearly three days of nonstop flight, at top speed. Troops from First Village, the closest village to Triscot with a regiment, would have taken the better part of two days. (Primus almost wished he had a supersonic transport, himself.) Not that he minded taking a few days, but Demos wanted the situation resolved before dawn. Of course, the Triscot police had been keeping an eye on the platoon ever since Supprus had first spoken with Commissioner Gothic in Chief Arresting's office. So, Primus simply had a Sorreter translocate him to the Triscot police department, and got the receptionist to call the chief at home. After meeting with the marshal, Arresting called in every patrolman- on duty or not- and organized a task force to accompany Primus to the platoon's camp. Primus hoped there would be no resistance, considering Supprus had previously promised to go along with whatever was decided about their case. Primus met with the colonel, and explained his own situation. Naturally, Supprus wasn't pleased, but he appreciated the marshal's continued protection, and in any case was not one to go back on his word. Shortly after their meeting, they found the camp suddenly surrounded by a makeshift army of street rats, wood rats, and river rats, all commanded by the Vole. Like the police, they too had been watching over the platoon. Supprus was as surprised by this as Primus; he thanked the 'rats for their willingness to help, but told them it wouldn't be necessary. There was a mix of relief and frustration among the 'rats, having been prepared for and denied a chance to go into battle, for the second time in the space of a week.

And so, a local transport company was hired to deliver the detainees to Army headquarters in Near Port. In spite of the soldiers' willing submission, they were placed in restraints and herded into the wagons, where Primus's Sorreter cast soporific spells upon them, for added security. Primus and the Sorreter went along in the lead wagon, and the Sorreter maintained a multi-scry on the interiors of all the wagons, so he'd know immediately if there was any trouble from the prisoners.

Meanwhile, Demos composed a statement which would be sent to every newspaper in the world that night, to appear in print the next morning. He was mildly disappointed that the announcement could not include a notice of dismissal of Marshal Primus, which he'd planned on complementing with notice of his plan to promote General Middlebury to marshal and Colonel Woodman to general. But he consoled himself that it probably wouldn't be too much longer before Primus had no choice but to oppose him; his dismissal would come soon enough. It did, however, make his actions seem more reasonable than they might have if Primus had refused to comply. There was a part of him that worried his actions might fail to make people vote against him, but another part of him enjoyed the idea of actually winning the election.

The statement explained that the Chaos hadn't been telling the whole truth when they said they'd escaped from Colonel Woodman's dungeon. Many people had wondered, over the past week, why there was an Army platoon camped outside Triscot, and now it must be revealed that they had actually freed the rebels, as well as Vallus, and fled with them to Darius Lonewander's home village, where it was believed by the authorities that the Chaos had a number of allies, possibly the beginnings of an army of their own. Colonel Stavros Supprus's platoon was believed to be defecting to that army. Regardless of whether there was truth to the rebels' claims that they had abandoned their plans, or that they had received no trial- and neither claim could be confirmed- Supprus and his followers were unquestionably guilty of acts for which they would be tried by the military, under the Counter-insurgency Act. The trial, the statement stressed, was not to prove their guilt, but to enter the extant proof into official record, and to determine their sentence. Demos also made it clear that he stood behind Woodman's decision to apprehend the rebels in the first place. If it were proven that he had not given them a trial, or that he had ordered their torture, of course the colonel would be stripped of command and stand trial himself, presumably in a civilian court. However, he very much doubted such claims were true. He was forced to admit that Woodman had indeed secretly held Vallus prisoner for the last nine years, in defiance of the Declaration of Amnesty. This was a matter which warranted scrutiny, and it was too soon to say with any certainty whether the colonel had had sufficient justification or not. As for the accusations against Chief Councillor Turner, Demos admitted it was well-known that he harbored deep resentment toward former Grand Sorreter Drag and all the Protestant Sorreters, but he didn't believe a man of God such as Turner- the Bishop of Sorret- would condone methods such as kidnapping or torture. The statement offered no speculation as to who could have possibly been responsible for Cameron Piper's attempted abduction, but Demos felt quite certain Durell Turner was not involved. And as for the Chaos themselves, the statement said Demos intended to confer with the authorities the rebels had mentioned as investigating Colonel Woodman's actions, and released them on their own recognizance. It was a decision the wisdom of which he himself very much doubted. He was willing to listen to their reasons, but he felt they were probably being dangerously lax in their responsibility to protect the safety of the Second Order and its people. There was still every possibility that the Chaos intended to go through with their rebellion, at some point.

Demos smiled, after he finished drafting the statement. It might not have the same punch as actually promoting Woodman, but defending him would most likely rub many voters the wrong way, as would vilifying the Chaos. He knew well how his subjects' minds worked; if he didn't, he never would have become king. It was an interesting change of pace, using his understanding of their thought processes to turn them subtly against himself. It was the public's love of fantasy and silly romantic notions that had gotten him elected twice already. That same sensibility gave them an appreciation for anti-authority figures; 'lovable rogues,' he could well imagine people calling the rebels. And surely, they couldn't help but hate a figure like Woodman. On the other hand, people weren't too stupid; many would look beyond fantasy, think rationally, and see that Demos was right. And that even if he turned out to be wrong, he'd admit it, and go along with punishing whoever was found to be guilty. For the first time in years, he had absolutely no guess as to which way things would go. He reckoned he had a roughly fifty/fifty chance of winning. If he did... it wouldn't particularly matter if Primus and his allies learned of the Cabal's existence, because he had never officially been a part of it, and couldn't be tied to it. Maybe he would lose his chance to be monarch-for-life, but there was no telling how many terms he could be reelected to legitimately. And if he lost... the Cabal would have no choice but to support him.

On We'yetday afternoon, the chief spy of LandOrder's First Village branch had delivered a recording he'd made to his don, Roger Fourth. After viewing it, Fourth had shared the recording with Capp Primus, who immediately called a meeting of all his dons to decide what, if anything, should be done with it. There was at least one piece of information in the recording which troubled them, and which they felt might be to their advantage to be made public. However, the more significant information it contained might well be to their detriment. But even that nugget was something about which they all had mixed feelings. If made known, it would surely cause Demos to lose the election, and he was far more useful to them- and far less dangerous- than any other candidate would be. Particularly Quinn Darkstrider, who currently seemed to be the king's main rival. But in spite of his usefulness, none of them wanted to see Demos become king for life. The recording made it sound as if that was more likely to happen if he lost the election, but they couldn't help wondering if Demos and the man who appeared with him, in the recording, were right about that. It was also brought up by Don Chieftain that releasing the recording would surely be of help to the Chaos. This was not an issue of great importance to LandOrder, but some of the dons felt a vague sense of obligation to them. No decision was made.

On We'ginday evening, they all saw the announcement made by the Chaos, and felt even more responsible for the group's recent troubles. Also, Fourth pointed out that certain people in the government were acting a bit too much like criminals, adding "That's our job." But again, no decision was made.

On Wor'ginday morning, they each read their own local paper, with Demos's statement on the front page. By then, Colonel Supprus and his platoon had been en route to Near Port for several hours already. Capp called another meeting, and they all agreed that they were sick of Demos's constant lies, and that they didn't like the idea of the people who had rescued the Chaos being punished for trying to expose those lies. Not only Demos's lies, but those of the Cabal... of which, until We'yetday, they'd only ever heard vague rumors. But now, they had proof that it existed. Which brought them back to the main point they'd discussed when they first acquired that proof: that a member of InterGang was apparently a part of the Cabal. Finally, they decided that they could not abide any of this. They knew the media wouldn't accept the evidence coming from a gang, so Capp asked don Amalgamator to pass the recording on to the Chaos, since they were in her village. However, don Breakhead suggested giving it to his own chief spy, since he had spent the most time with the Chaos. The capo agreed, and within the hour, Merril RD translocated Jasp Underground to Triscot.

The members of the Chaos all went out early on Wor'ginday to vote against Demos; various members of the Lonewander clan also went out, but none of them could vote, not having valid adult licenses. This was something they all wanted to apply for as soon as possible, but not something they could acquire in a day. Before leaving Evan Wayfarer's estate, Alec read the morning paper, and immediately placed a call to Poss Primus. The marshal assured him he would do his best to protect Stavros, but said he'd had no choice but to follow Demos's order. This made Alec and his friends more eager than ever to get Demos out of office, so they hurried to the nearest polling place. After casting their votes, they went to Dane's for lunch, which is where Jasp found them. They all greeted him enthusiastically.

Darius asked, "So, did you learn what the big mystery in Woodstockade was all about?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yes. But I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss it. Anyway, we haven't got time for chit-chat. I'm here to deliver something to you. Whoever you gave the recording of your announcement yesterday, you'll want to get this to them right away." He produced a bubble, and handed it to Darius.

"What is it?"

"Best not to talk about it here. Shall we step outside?"

They were finished with their meal, so they left some money on the table, and went out to Adam's wagon. Once inside, Jasp played the recording for them. When it was over, Darius exclaimed, "That's amazing! But how did you get this?"

"It wasn't actually me, it was Roark Kidman. He's our chief spy in First Village, and he's had access to Demos's private office for some time now, but it's only recently that our Sorreters developed a counter-anti-spell that allows recording in rooms that have been magically protected against such things. Pure luck that he managed to record this conversation, the other day. Anyway, I hope it's of use to you. But about the bit where Demos speculates that you guys had killed a couple of people-"

Tiejo looked troubled. "That was being me," he said, barely above a whisper. "Perhaps for the good of the group I should, like Darius did before, be turning myself in to police. But self-defense it was!"

"We couldn't ask you to do that," said Darius.

"Not asking, you are; offering, I am."

"If you're sure. It's... appreciated. Of course we'll do all we can to get you acquitted." Darius scanned the faces of his friends. "So, does everyone think we should give this to Goodnews? Even if it means Tiejo will have to turn himself in?"

With some reluctance, they all agreed that they should, and Jasp returned to Tonad. Cameron translocated to their abandoned wagon, planning to fly it back to Triscot himself. Darius took the recording to Hubert Goodnews, and within the hour, it was bubblecast throughout the world. By the time it aired, Tiejo, Vallus, and Darius had gone to the police station, where they watched the news on a bubble-screen in Keith Arresting's office. When it was over, Tiejo admitted to having killed Macen Illustri and Zeke Sanguine, and explained the circumstances. (He had decided to protect Benj Illustri, by claiming responsibility for both deaths, and made no mention of Benj's presence.) He denied Demos's speculation that anyone in the Chaos had disposed of the bodies, however. Tiejo was put in a cell, but Arresting said that without bodies, he wasn't sure it would even go to trial, and that if it did, the self-defense plea would most likely hold up. On the other hand, he said, it might be awhile before Tiejo could be released, as investigations would have to be made about the speculation that someone in the Cabal had disposed of the bodies.

Demos was shocked and dismayed to learn that not only had someone gained unauthorized access to his office, but made a recording there. There was no longer any hope of the Cabal's existence remaining secret, but neither was there an admission of any wrongdoing by the Cabal. It could easily be claimed that they existed merely to safeguard the public's best interests, which Colonel Woodman's actions had proven by dealing with a rebel threat that the police could not, within the bounds of the law, have done anything about, themselves. Of course, there were still those in both the public and the government who were disturbed by the colonel's actions, but the recording also proved he'd acted alone... at least initially. Demos wondered whether these revelations would make the Cabal more or less likely to support Woodman, now. But of more immediate importance to Demos was how he himself would be affected. The recording proved that he was involved with the Cabal, but it also proved that he wasn't one of them. Concealing knowledge of their existence wasn't against any law, though he was certain Marshal Primus would be displeased to learn his report to Demos had been directly responsible for the failure of his subsequent investigations.

The one thing that could pose a real problem, however, was the use of the term 'king for life.' The recording, fortunately, did not make it at all clear just how Demos intended to achieve that position. He didn't doubt that the truth would be surmised by his enemies: that he wanted to lose the election, knowing the Cabal's current position was precarious enough that it couldn't survive if anyone else was king, and they would therefore use their influence on the military to keep him on the throne in spite of the election results. Once his authority was complete and irrevocable, he could deal with both his and the Cabal's enemies without worrying about appearances. In the meantime, it would be best to make sure as few people as possible turned against him. So, Demos came up with what he considered a believable explanation of what he'd actually meant by 'king for life.' As quickly as he thought up his lie, he made an announcement to the press.

He reminded the public that they'd chosen to vote for him in 904 because he'd promised to act as the sort of kings they'd heard of in stories of medieval Earth, and that they'd reelected him in 908 because he'd done a good job. So what if, over these past eight years, he'd engaged in some clandestine machinations, through his association with the Cabal? None of that had actually done anyone any harm, only good. But did ancient Terran kings have to worry about reelection, time after time? No. And did change come to the Land in just a matter of a few years? No. The Coming had lasted seven years, whether people knew it at the time or not, and had been planned for seven years before that. So, if a king had no idea whether he'd be in office for more than four years at a time, how could he be expected to enact any long-term plans for the continued betterment of the world? Any progress he made during his reign could be undone by his successor; and his successor's progress could be undone by his successor, and so on, virtually guaranteeing that society would stagnate, possibly even decline. Which is why he had planned to propose a law that would make the monarchy both a lifetime appointment and a hereditary position, rather than an elected one. Not only would it make the title more authentic, it would also give him a chance to concentrate on getting things done, instead of always worrying about whether he had enough time to do so. Meanwhile, the public would still vote for every other member of the World Council, as well as for village councils. They would also still have the power to vote on referenda. And in the unlikely event that any monarch ever did become a tyrant, he or she could still be impeached by Congress. Demos said that the Cabal had intended to support his effort to get this law passed, but if it had failed, that would have been the end of the whole idea.

Beverly had been in town, showing her support for her husband, when the recording of Demos and Deadzone had aired. Immediately after it concluded, she jumped in her carriage and hurried back to the palace to confront him. She stormed into his office just as he was concluding his announcement, which he summarized for her. She didn't believe a word of it.

"You've lied to me, all these years, hid your knowledge of the Cabal's existence from me. Just last night you called the thought of such a group 'chilling.' And now I find you're practically one of them? How many other things have you hidden from me? Has anything you've ever said been true?"

"My dear... I apologize for hiding that one thing from you, but I knew you could never accept the fact that the Cabal exists for the public good. All any of us want is to ensure that the accomplishments of the Coming aren't undone-"

"The Coming! And you know I wasn't fond of the secrecy of all that! Yes, the Planners did some good, but the way they went about it..."

"Yes, and when I found out about the secrets, I was as appalled as you. At first. But I've come to realize it was a necessary evil."

"And is the Cabal also a necessary evil? Don't you think the public can be trusted to look after its own good?"

"More often than not, I'm sure it can. But there are times when the public doesn't know what's in its own best interests."

"But you do."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be much of a king."

"And how is it you come by this superior insight? All your years as a trader?"

"As a traveler. I've seen many places, met many people. Dear, we discussed all this years ago. And don't you think I've been a good king?"

She seethed, "Oh, until today I certainly would have said so. An excellent king. But you're only human. No one should have the kind of power you seek."

"I could still be-"

"Impeached, yes, so you said. But that Sorreter talked as if the Cabal would never let that happen."

"It's a moot point; I have no intention of becoming a tyrant. After all, it's not just a matter of making my own position permanent; our children will succeed me, someday. Don't you want that for them?"

Her eyes widened, and she looked down at her belly. She rubbed it for a few moments, trying to steady her breathing. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears, and she looked up again at her husband. "Do I want them to feel entitled to rule the world just because of who their father is?" Her countenance grew fierce as she shouted, "Don't you remember where I come from?! The entitlement my own father felt to do whatever he pleased, just because he came from a wealthy clan? If you think I want my children to turn out like him, you're mad!"

"I haven't forgotten what Marlowe was like. Have you forgotten that I rescued you from all that? You should be grateful that I would never treat my own children the way he treated you and your mother. You truly think it mad to want to treat my children like royalty?"

"I didn't say... Demos, I know you'd treat them well, but I fear that if you treat them too well, they'd have little chance of becoming anything but tyrants. There is a middle ground, but if you truly believe you deserve to be 'king for life,' I very much doubt you can see that."

Demos sighed. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, my dear. I don't know what else I can say to make you see reason, but hopefully you'll come around. Either way, I will become a true king. These first two terms were fun, but they were little more than a game. And I'm done playing."

"I see now that this whole marriage was nothing but a game to you. Well, I'm done playing, too. Goodbye, Demos."

She started toward the door, but turned back to Demos when he said, "Go, then. But don't you dare think you'll keep my children from me. I won't let you turn them into peasants! There's nowhere you can go that I won't be able to find you."

Glaring at him, she replied in a calm but firm voice, "You really are mad. I hope you end up in one of those asylums you've been planning with Tobias and Callum." With that, Beverly left.

It would be a few days before the ballots were completely counted, in every village. Meanwhile, those who were against Demos grew increasingly concerned that no one seemed to be doing anything about the Cabal. Unfortunately, there wasn't much anyone could do. Commissioner Gothic spent most of his time questioning Lucrezia Nearwright, but she told him nothing he didn't already know. Aside from her, Demos, Seth Manager, and Charles Woodman, no one had any idea who might be involved. Uncertainty led to rampant speculation among the public, who suddenly feared that any authority figure might be a cabalist. Adam and Vallus both made public speeches, urging people not to succumb to paranoia, to limited avail.

On We'yetday, four days after the election, the results were finally announced. Demos had lost. Even so, his term wouldn't officially end until 8 Win'yet of next year. There was talk of impeaching him, but Congress was gridlocked in this matter, which fueled speculation about various Congresspeople being part of the Cabal. Meanwhile, king-elect Quinn Darkstrider met with Marshal Poss Primus to discuss what would be done if Demos refused to give up the throne, when the time came. He also promised the marshal that once he was inaugurated, he would issue a pardon to Colonel Supprus and his people, in gratitude for their attempts to expose the Cabal.

However, while the recording of Demos and Deadzone had proven the Cabal's existence, it hadn't proved what the Cabal actually was. There were no laws against people in power having private conversations with one another, and there was no proof that the Cabal had ever done anything more than that. Primus believed that they were prepared to use military force to keep Demos on the throne, but until his term officially ended, there was no need for such action to be taken. Which meant as far as anyone knew, Demos hadn't broken any laws. In fact, there was no proof that anyone in the Cabal had broken any laws. Woodman's own case was still much debated, but while Manager was known to be a gangster, and Nearwright was known to have had illicit dealings with him, the fact was that the magistrate's arrest had had nothing to do with any cabal, at least as far as Darkstrider had known at the time. Even now, their alleged membership in the Cabal remained merely Demos's guesses. And so, it seemed the only way the authorities would learn if the Cabal could truly be considered a threat was to wait and see what happened six months hence.

No one in the Chaos was content to wait, however. They wanted to speed events along as much as they could, for both Tiejo's sake and Stavros's. They were concerned that they had no idea of the extent of the Cabal's sway; it could well be greater than that of Poss Primus or the others who had taken their side recently. Darius decided that they should get back in touch with every group they'd once sought as allies for their rebellion, and offer their help to Quinn Darkstrider. Alec said that if he knew Stavros at all, even in captivity he'd find a way to stay in contact with those members of the military he knew to be on his side. There were, of course, more than just the platoon he'd taken with him to rescue them from Woodman's dungeon. Darius went to the Jasmine Dragon to ask Cherilyn Amalgamator to convey their thanks to the capo and Roark Kidman for the recording of Demos's meeting with Deadzone. But also he asked her if there was any chance of LandOrder helping in an actual war against the Cabal. She said that, regrettably, the gang's forces were preoccupied with both InterGang and the Illuminati, and besides, she was quite certain Darkstrider would refuse their help even if it was offered. Tom called Arnold Sullenhest, who assured him the 'rat army would be very willing to fight. Darius called his cousin Cara, who promised at least a few pirate ships would be at their disposal, if necessary. Adam said he had a fair number of allies... as did 'Evan.' Cameron had arrived back in Triscot with the Chaos's wagon the day before the election results were announced; he'd gotten little sleep during the flight, and when he did sleep, he trusted the autopilot, rather than landing. Now he called Drag, who said that the Second Order, which they had fought so hard to prevent from coming into being, was infinitely preferable to what the world would become if Demos and the Cabal had their way. He promised that when the time came, all the ex-Sorreters would be ready to fight.

And so, once he had a rough idea of his resources, Darius took out a t-mail bubble, and said, "Open. Darius Lonewander for Quinn Darkstrider...."

On Penul'day, 5 Su'yet, Sloane Mocha-Java had called a t-mail conference of every member of Macen Illustri's spy network. She shared the information Tulo Streetrat had provided her, as well as detailing her conversation with Colonel Woodman. The question arose of whether the network should be disbanded, following the death of the one who'd organized it in the first place; or, if it was to continue, who should assume Macen's position as director. There was also discussion as to whether they should try to find Tiejo Streetrat, and have him killed in retribution for Macen's death. No one greatly cared about Zeke Sanguine's murder; in fact, some of the spies half-jokingly suggested thanking Benj Illustri for that. No decisions were made about the group's leadership or about Tiejo, though the spies in Triscot planned to keep an eye out for him or any other member of the Chaos. They also tried to investigate the disappearance of Macen and Zeke's bodies, and whether any member of the Cabal might be responsible, but with no success.

They all watched the announcement made by the Chaos on We'ginday night. No one was quite sure what any of it might mean for them, but they found it interesting that no mention was made of the incident with Macen and Zeke. They also wondered whether the announcement would have any effect on the next day's election.

On Wor'ginday, 8 Su'yet, Sloane read the morning newspaper, and King Demos's announcement about the arrest of Colonel Stavros Supprus. Later that day, she watched the recording of Demos's conversation with René Deadzone. That evening, she heard from a spy in Triscot that Tiejo had turned himself in to the police, confessing to killing Macen and Zeke in self-defense. She wondered why the street rat would be protecting Benj, and decided to hire a Sorreter to translocate her to Triscot, to ask Macen's brother in person if he could explain that. She happened to be one of the few members of the spy network who had met Macen's family before; she was fairly sure none of the spies who lived in Triscot had done so, since Macen didn't like the idea of his relatives getting involved in his business. But he had apparently seen no harm in their meeting spies from other villages, whom they weren't likely to run into around town. She supposed if she was going to be in Triscot, she should probably see Macen's parents, as well as Benj, to express her condolences on their loss. Besides, she could think of a question or two for Benj's father, which she doubted would yield any helpful answers, but it couldn't hurt to ask. So she called Xander Illustri, and made an appointment to meet with them the next afternoon.

After arriving at the Illustri estate on Tuesday, she was shown to Xander's home office. The elder Illustri was seated behind his desk, while Benj stood to one side. Sloane was surprised to find Noson Turner sitting on a couch.

"Greetings, Ms. Mocha-Java," said Xander. "Please have a seat. I trust you know Councillor Turner of Sorret?"

"We've met on several occasions," she replied, sitting down beside Noson.

"Good. You mentioned in your call that you wanted to speak with me about my son... my other son... and about that recording of Demos that aired yesterday."

"Yes. Again, Councillor Illustri, my deepest sympathies for your family's loss."

"Thank you. I'm sorry my wife couldn't be here, but I'll pass your sentiment on to her. Meanwhile, you have my sympathies, as well. I know Macen thought highly of you, as I'm sure you did of him."

"Absolutely. I-"

Xander held up a hand. "Before you begin, I should tell you that Noson visited me yesterday, about an hour after the recording aired, and shared some information with me concerning the matter. When you called a few hours later, I thought you'd be interested in hearing what he'd told me, so I asked him to join us today."

"Oh?" She turned to look at Noson.

Noson nodded and said, "Hello, Sloane. Well, here it is: through sources I'm not at liberty to reveal, a colleague of mine learned of the deaths of Macen and Zeke not long after they occurred. For reasons I was not made aware of, he asked me to temporarily relocate the bodies."

Sloane hadn't anticipated this meeting providing an answer to her people's question without her even asking, especially after a few days of digging had turned up nothing. But she immediately jumped on the opportunity to learn more. "Was this colleague a member of the Cabal?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to reveal that, either. But whether he was or not, I can tell you that his motives had nothing to do with the Cabal."

"I'll just take your word for that, I suppose. At least it would seem to be in keeping with what Demos and that Sorreter said in the recording. However, I find it strange that you'd be so willing to follow orders to dispose of the bodies of your friends, and hide the truth from Macen's family."

"I assure you, it's not a task I found pleasant. But I trust this colleague implicitly, and have no doubt that his request served some greater good."

"Whose greater good might that be? Or aren't you at liberty to say?"

"I was not made aware of that, precisely, but I suspect it was in some way related to a war which he felt certain was close at hand. And it's beginning to look like he was probably right about that. Anyway, he never intended for the bodies to be hidden permanently. And after the public learned of the deaths, from Demos's conversation with 'that Sorreter,' my colleague said there would be no more point in preventing the authorities from learning they were killed. I mean, considering they already knew. So he had me anonymously transfer the bodies to the village morgue, and then had me contact Macen's father. To whom I apologized for keeping news of his son's death from him, if only for a few days."

"And I accepted his apology. His apology; while I respect his loyalty to his colleague, I cannot forgive that colleague, whomever he may be."

"Forgive me, sir," said Sloane, "but I should point out I'm aware of your own position in the Cabal, and I had been wondering-"

"Father?" asked Benj, speaking for the first time.

"Yes, yes," said Xander, waving his hand dismissively, "Macen got me in, the year after he himself joined. We were both mid-level members, but I foolishly expected that sooner or later I would be promoted to senior member. I thought they'd help advance my career, but all they've ever done is hinder it. So now I'm done with them. They never would have made me a senior member, unless I became a Chief Councillor, and now that Adam's back, I don't imagine that will ever happen. No doubt when Noblesse-Oblige retires, the public will insist Adam run for the position, and while I'm sure he'll demur at first, his disgusting sense of civic duty will compel him to finally agree. So it seems my political career has gone as far as it ever will." He glanced at Noson, adding, "Considering I have no one the Cabal is truly interested in, for whom I might serve as proxy."

Turning back to Sloane, he continued, "Anyway, I had hoped to someday run for monarch, but if I can't even become Chief Councillor of my own village, there's little chance of that. To be honest, I always knew I couldn't become king in the first election, so I bided my time. I chose to support Demos because he seemed the least likely candidate to prove an effective leader; I mean, other than that one kid, and the adventurer. I figured by the time I was ready to run, Demos would be easy to beat. But then I joined the Cabal, and they required me to continue supporting Demos. Well, now he's become a liability, and I take some small satisfaction in knowing they must regret ever taking his side. But they've painted themselves into a corner, and now they have no choice but to back him to the bitter end." Xander sighed. "He's always been nothing more than a cunning fool, which is probably why he employs that damned clown of his; so he can feel like less of a fool by comparison. But now I see he's worse than a fool: What kind of madman can't see he'd be better off serving out his terms and leaving when his time was over, so he could at least still have wealth, respect, and freedom? And what kind of businessman couldn't turn a former kingship to his financial advantage even once out of office? This 'king for life' nonsense will mean his own ruin, and the downfall of the Cabal itself, mark my words."

He glanced at Benj and said, "So... I'm sorry I never told you about any of this. But it seems it didn't matter, anyway, considering how utterly pointless my association with the Cabal has been."

"At least it's refreshing to hear you denigrating Demos, for a change."

"Believe me, it's a relief for me, as well." Turning back to Sloane, he said, "Now, I apologize for the interruption. What was it you were wondering?"

"Oh. Well, as the Sorreter-" with a sidelong glance at Noson, she amended, "I mean, as Mr. Deadzone said in the recording, my people and I have been speculating that the bodies were hidden by the Cabal. If Councillor Turner is to be believed, which I don't doubt, then that was not the case. But he didn't specifically deny that his colleague was a member of the Cabal. I know not all members are known to one another, but I'd been wondering if you, as a member yourself, had any knowledge of who might be behind the disappearance of the bodies, and why. I hadn't expected Noson to be here today, let alone to freely share the answer to at least one of my questions. But given his admission... and incidentally, I must also admit that I became aware of Macen's death a few days ago, and I apologize for not informing you of it sooner, but we were hoping to discover what had happened to the bodies, first."

"Understood," said Xander.

"Thank you. Now, even after Noson's admission, I'm still left with the question of why. And come to think of it, of who... not who personally hid the bodies, but who ordered- I'm sorry, requested it. Like you, I'll forgive Noson for agreeing to the request, but unlike you, that doesn't mean I necessarily respect his loyalty to any colleague who would ask such a thing. I'd like to respect that loyalty, but without knowing precisely why the request was made, I'm afraid I cannot. I'm sure Noson won't be answering that, and I hope it's not impolitic to ask you right in front of him-"

"Not at all," Noson interjected. "I understand your line of work and your current situation."

"But surely you, Mr. Illustri, are still just as curious as I. If you have any thoughts at all, any guesses, I'd appreciate your sharing them. My people might be able to use those guesses as a starting point for our own investigation, which could lead to answers we would of course share with you."

"As you say, we Cabalists don't know one another's identities, for the most part. Ever since watching the news yesterday, both before and after getting the call from Noson, I have wracked my brain trying to think of anyone, Cabalist or not, who might have a personal reason for asking Noson to do what he did. But I'm afraid I can think of no one." After a brief pause, he added, "I assume, aside from expressing condolences, that question was the only reason you wanted to meet with me?"

"It was."

"Then I apologize for being of no help."

"On the contrary, the fact that you had Noson share his information with me may prove quite helpful; in fact, it was more than I had really hoped to learn today."

"Well then, you're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to attend to. Benj will show you out."

"Thank you for your time, Councillor." She and Noson both rose, and waited for Benj to escort them from his father's office.

On the way from the office to the manor's front door, Noson said to Sloane, "Xander may be right about the Cabal's impending undoing, but then again he may not. Of course you realize I'm a senior member, myself. And I suppose he's right that that's just because my father turned down a position, when it was offered to him. Personally, I've always believed Macen was much more deserving of a position as senior member than I am. But I'm sure you know as well as I that he wasn't interested. I understand your distrust of the Cabal, and I realize that with Macen gone you have no reason to work with us in the future, assuming we even have a future. But I also hope you remember that I was his friend before he even started the network, and that not all Cabalists are as underhanded as, say, Charles Woodman. Obviously you'll be telling your people what I told you, but I'd appreciate it if you also conveyed my sincere apologies for my actions, and for my refusal to share every detail that I know... even if every detail I know still wouldn't be enough to satisfy your curiosity. I hope you don't bear me any hard feelings, and I hope you'll consider that there may be bits of information in the future, about various matters, which I may be able to share. No strings attached. As useful as the Cabal may have occasionally found Macen's spies, you must admit your people have sometimes found the Cabal useful, in some ways. That needn't end."

"I'll convey that to my people," she replied noncommittally.

"Thank you kindly," he said. "And now, I must get back to work." With that, he translocated to Sorret.

Once outside the manor, Benj said, "I have work to get back to, myself. So-"

"If you have a moment," said Sloane, "there was a small matter I wanted to ask you about, and I didn't want to do so in front of your father. Or Noson."

"Oh?"

"Macen's killer, Tiejo Streetrat, turned himself in to the police yesterday, though they seem to be keeping that quiet, for now. I say 'Macen's killer,' because you and I both know he didn't kill Zeke Sanguine, though he has admitted to both murders, in self-defense. I was wondering if you had any idea why he might be protecting you. And if there's anything else you could possibly tell me about the events surrounding those murders. Such as why you let Tiejo live."

Benj looked uncomfortable, but quickly composed himself. "I can only assume he's claiming responsibility for both deaths out of gratitude; if I hadn't killed Zeke, he surely would have killed Tiejo and his friends. And of course, there's the fact that, as you say, I didn't kill Tiejo myself." He took a deep breath. "Why my brother and Noson considered Zeke a friend, I'm sure I don't know, but I doubt your people are going to hold his death against me. The thing is, I believe Macen would be alive today if he'd never met Zeke. As for letting the street rat live, I could hardly blame him for my brother's death; it was merely self-defense, as he said. My brother left him no choice. If your people decide to kill him for what he did, believe me, I won't shed any tears for the rat. But I am not a murderer."

"You're right that we would have been happier if Macen hadn't included Zeke in his network, and we don't blame you for what you did. Though you can't really claim that not killing Tiejo means you're not a murderer. After all, you didn't kill Zeke in self-defense."

Benj scoffed, "No, but I've never seen him as human. You don't murder a mad monog, you put it down. And without Macen around to keep him on a leash anymore, there's no telling how much havoc he would have wrought. Especially if another war breaks out."

Sloane nodded. "I shudder to think. But I also don't understand why you didn't tell your parents that your brother was dead." A sudden realization struck. "Wait. Were you the one who told Noson's colleague about the deaths?"

Benj sighed. "Yes. It was all quite unexpected, and I certainly didn't know he was going to have Noson hide the bodies. He did ask me not to tell anyone about their deaths, though. I don't share Noson's trust in him, not by a long shot, but I do believe he probably had good reasons for what he did. And before you ask, I can't tell you who he is, or anything he said to me. But I can confirm that he's a member of the Cabal. And, as Noson said, his motives have nothing to do with the Cabal. Or at least, his actions are unknown to the other members. And that's all I can say."

"Alright. Thanks for being as candid as you feel able. And rest assured, nothing you've said will be shared with anyone but my people."

"Oh, I have the utmost confidence in your discretion. Good day, Ms. Mocha-Java." With that, he climbed into his carriage, and headed back to work.

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