The Iron Skeleton

Chapter 34

Brant marched down an unlit hallway in the Kemarian stronghold, striding alongside Aaron as they followed Chariya to the Overseer's office. She hadn't communicated her intentions to them yet, but the fact she now held not one, but two pistols in her hands seemed to imply they were somewhat less than peaceful.

Chariya kicked the door open and pointed both guns at the Overseer's head. "On the floor, now! Put your hands behind your head!"

The Overseer stared at the princess with widened eyes, but complied. Everybody else in the office stood frozen in place, gazing at the scene unfolding with hands on their hearts and mouths agape, among whom Hannah stood.

"What have I done?" the patchy-bearded man cried from where he knelt on the floor.

"You know good and well what you have done!" Chariya shouted, "In my absence, you were made aware of one of our men losing his mind, and you did nothing about it! The bloodbath that ensued, you allowed it to happen, and to worsen your crimes, you told me nothing about it! You instead allowed me to believe all was well in my absence. On what grounds have you done this?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, your highness."

Brant gritted his teeth, stepped around Chariya, and snatched the man up by the collar. He slammed his spine into a cabinet, creating a loud boom when the metal door rattled on its hinges. "You're lying, and everybody knows it. Come clean!"

The Overseer stared down at Brant with nothing in his eyes but pure terror. "Okay, I'll talk!"

Brant hurled the man to the ground. "You'd better."

Chariya coughed. "You had better start talking, because my fingers are about ready to pull these triggers."

"It was him!" the Overseer shouted, pointing his trembling finger at Brant. "He made me do it!"

Brant tightened his lips as all eyes in the room landed on him. "If you wouldn't mind, explain the utter nonsense that just spilled from your lips."

"Chariya, don't you see it? He's a monster! Always has been, always will be!" He turned to Brant. "You...you vile creature! You slew my brothers! Right before me! Their blood splashed into my eyes and—"

"That was clearly before I came to realize the error of my ways." Brant said, "And I apologize."

"No." the Overseer replied, wiping his eyes, "No you don't. You'd do it all over again if it suited your pleasure. Even now!"

"That's not—"

"This is all beside the point." Chariya growled, "Why did you withhold information from me? That is what I came here to ask!"

"Because, I want this dour brute dead!"

"And how does allowing a deranged madman to run loose in my base accomplish that?"

The Overseer sighed. "One of the men brought Mr. Pulung before me. Said he was messed up in the head, and he wanted me to evaluate him. So I talked to him. He said there was...a beautiful voice in his head, telling him horrible things."

Aaron cleared his throat from where he stood behind Chariya. "Like what?"

"Much of it is far too graphic to repeat, I'm afraid. But primarily, he said the voice kept telling him to grab a gun and shoot up the base. At first, he said, he was absolutely disgusted. But the voice, he said, was so smooth and seductive that it compelled him. When I talked to him, he said the only thing holding him back was fear of consequence."