The Charlatan

13. At the Drop of a Hat

They were smart. The Charlatan was smart. They knew that Velt's monarchy was still new, still unstable, and that the College of Electors would pressure the King into military action if the country were to fall to a dire low. Clara sat in the corner of her cell, back to the wall and eyebrows furrowed, as she reviewed everything that had happened so far. Her companions paced a way's away from her, muttering to each other quietly or looking off to scenery intangible.

Someone wanted Velt to start a war. Not only that, but they wanted this war to permanently destroy the country, or even the whole continent. Clara recalled the Charlatan's letter from the day she arrived at the King's dwellings, the magnificent jagged structure in center of the capital, just weeks ago.

"Your moronic greed and your country's grossly misplaced trust in their monarch have ruled in my favor. I now own all of Velt's wealth and, by the time of your reading, all the rest of the world will know that you are bankrupt."

They had made the assumption that, upon hearing of Velt's bankruptcy, the surrounding countries would attack the impregnable city until attrition or surrender, effectively dismantling Velt's stronghold over all gold and exports. But Dehi didn't know. Clara recalled Safiya and Priyanka's looks of genuine shock and betrayal when she had suggested that Dehi had taken initiative in the horrific battle. Logically, as Clara thought more about her time in Dehi, the twins' reactions made more sense and the Charlatan's letter made less.

She and Air had encountered a thriving community of chattering businesspeople. There were no posts for conscription, no army exercises, and certainly no scent of war. The cityfolk seemed confused or intrigued by the mention of the Charlatan, and they let the Veltie constabulary into their capital to retrieve Clara without obstruction. The ash that was the western mining town was not remnant of battle, but of quashed innocents. The bomb dropped onto the capital was ushered in by an air vehicle that was unchallenged. Dehi had no knowledge of Velt's coming, and it was obvious that Velt had launched the offensive before word of bankruptcy had even a chance of making it out of Dehi, or to Velt. It was a pre-emptive strike.

"Word will reach your streets soon after."

The King could not afford another riot.

Nevertheless, a question still hung in the air. If Dehi did not know of Velt's bankruptcy, had the Charlatan been bluffing? Was Velt really swindled into losing all of its gold? And, most importantly, had Velt just launched needless onslaught?

"Why were you under the impression that it was Genesis who was responsible for housing the Charlatan?" Air suddenly interrupted Clara's thoughts in his rough accented Velte. Clara looked up at her fair-haired companion, and was aware of everyone's eyes on her. Air had saved her life, and was now stuck in a jailhouse for doing so. He knew that she had let him believe a lie. She was not running from Veltie saboteurs who wanted a non-existent message carried in the pockets of her trousers. She owed it to Air, and to her unlikely companions, to tell the truth. As much as she feared it, she needed people to trust.

"I was tasked with delivering a high import message to King Arc Jin," Clara began, projecting her voice so that all her companions could hear. "I did my courier duties, and it was passed to him undamaged. The message was from the Charlatan, who informed him that Velt was bankrupt due to the King's irresponsibility. He reacted by blaming me, I cursed at him, and then I resisted arrest."

"That's illegal," Air cut in, voice low with anger he was trying to suppress. "He cannot indict a courier for any message they deliver. That –" his voice suddenly hitched, but he quickly recovered, "No," he finished, shaking his head.

After a brief silence, Clara continued.

"Whispers on the streets told of the King making some sort of Deal with Genesis recently. The public was more excited than usual about the prospect of more wealth and power. I thought," Clara faltered, "that maybe Genesis was involved." She then explained the same to Honey in Genesese, looking down at her feet in shame.