We had very noble intentions of starting the draft of The Liar’s Knot before we’d even sold The Mask of Mirrors. There’s merit in doing this: when writing book two, you inevitably find things you’d like to tweak in book one, and so the farther you get in the former before the latter gets set in stone, the better.

But in this case, it meant we leapt in before we’d quite given our narrative structure enough thought. We knew that somewhere we had to work in the information that House Acrenix held the charter for storing confiscated belongings — since that’s key to how Ghiscolo got the Sessat medallion — and we needed to give Grey some kind of initial bit of plot we could introduce in Chapter One, so we came up with the notion of Ghiscolo asking Grey to investigate a break-in at his warehouse . . . which we think we meant to be a break-in that Ghiscolo himself instigated, through third parties, as cover for what he himself had taken, but at this point we can’t remember for sure. Regardless of what our plan was, once we got started properly on the book, it felt too much like make-work for Grey, and a plot that would take too long to arrive anywhere meaningful. So we cut this, and ultimately replaced it with setup for the creation of the Ordo Apis instead.

We also think there was at least the start to a second scene after this one, with Grey arriving at Fintenus Manor, where Mezzan had taken refuge with Egliadas, in order to question him. That fragment, however, is lost even to our records. This bit picks up in the middle of the scene where Grey reports to the Aerie.

***

Acrenix shifted in his seat. “They . . . may or may not have.”

The man actually looked embarrassed, and Cercel glanced politely down. Grey held his tongue, waiting for Acrenix to explain.

“You may or not be aware that my house holds a particular charter, one of some . . . political delicacy. In short, we have responsibility for storing and guarding the confiscated possessions of a certain category of criminal — those charged with treason and similarly egregious crimes. Like, for example, the former House Indestor.

“I will need to surrender that charter soon, of course — as soon as the paperwork can go through — because the entire idea behind it was that whoever held the Caerulet seat should not also be the one with control over the possessions of the accused. Far too easy for the city’s military leader to abuse his position by planting evidence against the suspects.”

Grey was very well aware of that charter, and found the reasoning behind it a praiseworthy farce. This city hasn’t been concerned with fairness since Kaius Rex conquered it — but they do like to keep up appearances.

Acrenix coughed theatrically, rubbing the back of his neck. “So imagine the awkward position I find myself in when I, as both the holder of that charter and the new Caerulet, discover that the stronghouse filled with former Indestor possessions has been broken into.”

“The Rook was seen nearby,” Dimiterro put in.

Caerulet dismissed this with a wave of his hand. “The Rook is always seen nearby when something happens in this city. Blaming him happens as easily and naturally as breathing. Not to mention that black-hooded coats are not exactly difficult to come by.”

Dimiterro chuckled. “Well, how else are young people going to be shocking on the Night of Bells?”

The leather of Grey’s gloves creaked softly. Catching Cercel’s concerned look, he responded with a minute shake of his head. He exhaled, letting his tension go with it. “If not the Rook, then who do you think it was?” he asked, pulling them away from the digression and back to the point.

“The list of possible suspects is quite long,” Acrenix said, “and many of them are the type of person that would not open their doors to you.”

He didn’t have to say Sostira Novrus’ name. Grey was well aware of the feud that had existed between Novrus and Indestor before the latter was dissolved, and Sostira would be more than happy to scrape up any blackmail material for use against the former members of that house — or just claim a few trophies to gloat.

But she would be more subtle, Grey thought. Quite a few other nobles, however, would not be.

Or non-nobles. Acrenix said, “We have to consider the possibility that it was the Stadnem Anduska. Either in revenge for how they were manipulated . . . or to destroy further evidence of their wrong-doing. Things we don’t yet know about, perhaps.”

And there it was. Grey’s fingers itched to remove his pin. “So my orders are to hunt down the Stadnem Anduska as perpetrators of the attack on the amphitheater and suspects in this stronghouse break-in?”

“Unlike my predecessor,” Acrenix said, “I’m not inclined to pick a culprit and then arrange for proof. Nor am I here to give you orders. In this case, I’ve come as the head of a noble house to request that the Vigil investigate a crime. Which means I would like the crime investigated. High Commander Dimiterro suggested you.”

Dimiterro tugged his coat straight, even though it didn’t need straightening. “If the Stadnem Anduska had nothing to do with this break-in, then they had nothing to do with it, and that’s the end of that. I know I can trust you to look for the ones truly responsible, and not a convenient scapegoat. As you will no doubt do with the matter of the amphitheatre.”

Grey had been shocked when he wasn’t immediately discharged from the Vigil, and surprised by the offer of a reward, but this confounded him. Indestor and the previous High Commander had left no doubt that they expected Grey to reach certain conclusions with the Night of Hells investigation. He searched his superiors’ faces for some hint of underlying orders, or failing that, that this was a jest. But both men looked serious, and Cercel’s smile was more wry than anything.

He didn’t dare hope that things might actually be changing in the Vigil. He would have to confirm with Cercel in private later, when he wasn’t keeping Acrenix and Dimiterro waiting. He drew up to attention and faced his High Commander. “If I’m to be investigating this break-in, and looking for the radicals, and maintaining my usual duties, I’m going to need assistance. If you can assign more lieutenants to help cover my patrols — reliable ones — that would free up a great deal of my time.”

Which was true, but also a test. Grey should have had more lieutenants from the start. But keeping him short-handed was one of the countless ways Mettore’s pet High Commander had kept him in his place.

“Of course,” Dimiterro said without hesitation. “I’d intended that regardless.”

True, or a polite fiction? The speed with which those lieutenants reported for duty would answer that question. But either way, it seemed Dimiterro was genuinely serious about supporting him.

Cercel knew Grey too well. Setting a restraining hand on his shoulder before he pushed any further, she said, “I have the report file for the break-in in my office. I can fill Captain Serrado in on the details instead of taking up more of your time.”

“Please do. Thank you, Commander. Captain.” Dimiterro nodded their dismissal.

Cercel held her tongue until they were away from the High Commander’s office and his secretary’s desk. “Really, Serrado? I’m starting to miss the quiet, obedient lieutenant who kept his head down and didn’t give me troubles or headaches.”

“If you want me to relieve your troubles, I could go back and ask for a bigger office, too.” At Cercel’s groan, Grey let slip the smile he’d been biting back. It went with the lightening of his step and the lifting of his heart. “Save you from having to do it. You did promise, after all.”

“You’ve already called nytsa once. Don’t stretch your luck any further. And just thank your gods we wound up with Acrenix; for a while there, I wasn’t sure either of us would have a job when the river ebbed.” She glanced at his dress vigils. “I imagine you’ll want to change out of those before you head out.”

“Actually, no,” Grey said thoughtfully, brushing at the sapphire wool. “I have a thought for where to start . . . and it isn’t in Seven Knots.”