Sangriala

Chapter 14: The Paragon Always Falls

From the walls of the Oleander House, we took a straight street leading towards the Palace area, which we could see looming not far. Eleanor Hamoun had chosen her location strategically – between the Palace area and the Temple of Riël. It had to be the most strictly protected area in all of Sangriala. Unless, of course, an open war broke out between the Palatines and the Templars. Yet wasn't that what Eleanor had said about her own position – she was the go-between, with good relations to all sides.

The Dark Duke had to be conscious of her position, I thought. In fact, she had to be operating with his active approval. Otherwise, she could hardly have maintained her position. Or her role as the Duke's mistress. She also had a hotline directly to Marshal Beniresh, as we had witnessed when she arranged the Palatines to be withdrawn from her premises. I wondered how she would manage for us to meet the Hierophant and release the nine girls.

Captain Rüdiger travelled with us, while his three men were all sitting in the front of the black pickup. The streets seemed deserted. Where there had been busy shops the other day, there were now just closed doors and windows covered by wooden panes.

"Did you find out who the dead girl was?" Roland asked the captain.

"No information yet", answered the Palatine. "It's out of my hands."

I could have told him. I could have given the crucial hint at the Yellow Narcissus in Anay. However, I thought it wiser not to say a word. For most of our journey through Elysium, the Palatines had been our enemies, and it hadn't essentially changed, even if we were on our way to meet the Dark Duke himself. The girl had been one of Shato's team, which meant she was probably also linked with Eleanor – something that seemed to be confirmed by her showing up in the latter's garden.

"What has happened in the city?" I asked instead. "We heard shooting and shelling in the night."

"Clashes with the Resistance", said Rüdiger, and I saw he didn't take the situation lightly. "And mahis. Hundreds of armed reds coming from the woods. Our troops slaughtered dozens – I don't think anyone had time to count the corpses yet. But more keep coming. I wonder... And our troops suffered heavy losses, too."

It made me worried, and sad. I was not sure whom to hail for. Not anymore. I sympathized with the Resistance. Some of them were our genuine friends. I understood the plight of the mahis, who were the rightful inhabitants of this world. But on the other hand, I would not wish to see the glorious city of Sangriala fall, or to become a playground of barbarism and looting hordes. Of whichever side.

"Electricity is gone from most of the city", Rüdiger continued. His restrictions on talking to us seemed to have passed. War brought the survivors together. "Our people are unable to start reparations while the fighting continues."

Once we turned from the corner and headed to the Palace area, streets stopped being deserted. Instead, we saw dozens of Palatine regulars, all armed to teeth. It was obvious the security belts around the Palace area had been enforced to the maximum. Very few non-Palatines were visible, and even those few were probably civilian workers of the Duke's administration.

At the roadblock, Rüdiger showed his credentials, and after an exchange of words, we were ushered in. Now there were Palatines everywhere. Hundreds. An army, ready to crush the uprising and wipe out the infiltrating mahis. I felt sad. I wished there was a way to stop the war, but what could we do, three aliens in their world.

"What are you going to say when you meet the Supreme Brother?" asked Rüdiger, clearly worried but somehow sincerer towards us than before.

Rüdiger looked at me, and then at Max, but Roland hurried to intervene: "Leave that to me", he said. "The Duke will listen to me, I'm sure of that."