The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon Read Free Book Online Page A

quickly, before the captain went to bed, stopped at the head of the stairs and beckoned. “Corporal Bosk,” he said, and his voice surprised himself.
    “Yes, sir.” Bosk was looking at something below his face—at his sleeve, Stammel realized. He felt unreasonably irritated.
    “I didn’t do it, Bosk; you know better!”
    “Yes, sir.” Bosk’s eyes came back to his.
    “We have a problem, Bosk, and little time to solve it. I want you to isolate Korryn, at once. I want to speak to everyone who was in that room from the time Stephi came in until we got there—no matter who, or how long they stayed—everyone. Separately—I’ll use the duty room for that. And before I talk to them, I want to know what they’ve been doing, and what you and Devlin think. But quickly.”
    “Yes, sir. Do you want me to move Korryn first? And where?”
    “Yes. Use that storage chamber down the way, and put a guard with him. He’s not to talk to anyone. Is Dev in the duty room?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Good. I’ll be there. You take care of Korryn and come to me when it’s done.”
    “Yes, sir.” Bosk left the recruit barracks to find a guard, and Stammel walked to the duty room down the hall. Inside, Devlin was writing up the log of his watch, frowning. Stammel stepped into the room and Devlin looked up.
    “Are they quiet?” asked Stammel.
    “About what you’d expect. I thought we were going to have more trouble for a bit: Korryn and Saben. But I made ‘em shut up.”
    Stammel realized that Devlin, too, was looking at his blood-stained sleeve. “Dev, I haven’t been beating her—someone else did that.”
    “Sir. I wouldn’t have thought she’d brawl like that.”
    “I don’t think she did, Dev.” Stammel paused to listen to feet in the passage behind him. Bosk must have found a guard. Devlin looked confused.
    “But, sir, they both said the same thing. And Stephi was down.”
    “Yes. That’ll bear thinking on.” Stammel heard voices in the barracks; he and Devlin both listened. Korryn, sounding aggrieved; Bosk, sounding grim and certain. Then three sets of footsteps in the passage, going away. Stammel resumed. “Devlin, if I’d asked you this morning whose word to take on something, Korryn’s or hers, what would you have said?”
    “Well—Paks’s, of course. But now—”
    “No buts. If it’s just Paks against Korryn, we know Paks is more trustworthy. She’s never done one underhanded thing yet.”
    “Yes, but what about Stephi? He’s not like Korryn, that I’ve heard.”
    “No, that’s true, and I’ve known him as long as you have. But I’ve seen him in fights—to be as dazed as he was, with no more marks on him—that’s not like him. I wish I knew how badly he’s hurt.”
    Bosk edged in the door. “Korryn’s safe, sir. And Saben wants to talk to you.”
    “I’ll get to him. You need to hear this too, Bosk. Stephi’s story is that Paks jumped him when he hadn’t done more than proposition her, right? And that she halfway killed him, except that Korryn dragged her off just before we got there.”
    The corporals nodded. “He said—or was it Korryn?—that he’d only hit her a couple of times since the fight started, she was so wild,” added Devlin.
    “Then how is it,” asked Stammel, “that Paks is lying down there too weak to stand, covered with bruises and welts?”
    “Welts?”
    “Yes. Stephi’s belt, according to her, and Korryn still had his on, as I recall.” Stammel moved restlessly about the little room. “I can’t explain Stephi’s part in this, but it needs explaining. He’s not known as a liar, but—”
    “Come to think of it,” Devlin interrupted, “most of that story came from Korryn, remember? Stephi hardly said a word—nodded when Korryn said ‘isn’t that right’—muttered a little, but that’s all.”
    “Still—I’ve got to come up with answers before the captain goes to bed. We can’t spring all this in the morning. Now: Devlin, I’ll be using