Part 8: Making Amends

After I delivered the keepsakes to Scribe and cashed in the valuables with Basso, I went to the old church to look for the Queen of Beggars. It wasn't easy entering her sanctuary to speak to her after the way our last conversation ended, but I knew it had to be done.

She was sitting alone in the old ruins, almost as if she was waiting for me. "I didn't expect you so soon, Child of the Shadows. Is something the matter?"

I approached her table and set the bag of coins down next to it. "Lorena's dead. I don't know when or how, but... I know she's gone."

She shook her head slowly and flashed a look of sympathy forward. "It is a hard pain to bear, losing someone you had grown fond of, but I know the strength is within you."

"That's not all." I sat down on the stool next to the table. "She had a son."

The Queen of Beggars was quiet for a long moment. This was something even she didn't know. "Is he yours?"

"It doesn't matter. He can't stay here; I can't take care of him. I need to know if you know someplace better. Maybe a couple that could adopt him and teach him a better way to live."

She was quiet again. I started to wonder if it was a good idea for me to talk about this with her at all.

"When we first met, Garrett, I could sense the scars that were branded in you. Like many of the forgotten children of The City, its streets made you its own, and you would never know the comforts that more fortunate children would know as they came of age. But underneath all those scars, I also sensed a heart that would not be darkened by the shadows where you found refuge. You withdrew yourself to spare your heart from the pains that would have destroyed it altogether, but every once in a while your actions, even as a so-called blackhand, demonstrated a light that still burned brighter in you than in the very men who claim to have only the best intentions for this city."

She angled in her chair so her dead eyes were turned to me. "I am sorry that I betrayed the part of you that trusted my council. I didn't mean to dim the light of your heart, I simply wanted you to see that there was a need for it to shine bright across The City. You have the unique ability to take all the hard lessons this city has taught you and apply their knowledge in defense of those who are not strong enough to endure its trials."

I stared at the floor quietly while listening to her and smirked at the stones when she was done. "I don't think you know me as well as you think you do, Beggar Queen. I was either getting paid for those things or getting something out of my way." For the most part. "Also, you have to admit that you pointed me in the direction of a lot of those lessons. I should have known that you were trying to prepare me for something."

As an afterthought, I added, "I'm sorry I killed your rat," which made her laugh.

"Rats are everywhere and where one falls, a dozen more rise to take its place. I will never run out of rats. What is the boy's name?"

"Rory."

She nodded slowly. "Do you wish he was your son?"

I couldn't answer that right away. I knew I didn't want to settle down or start a family, but when I thought about the fact that he could have been something Lorena and I made together, my chest burned like it did when I sat down in her attic. "I'm just glad to know that he's Lorena's."

The Queen of Beggars rose from her seat and gestured for me to follow her into the depths of the church's ruins. "There are many places in the world with different opportunities for Rory. I cannot guarantee his safety. Even if he is placed with a loving family, fate may decide that they all die within moments of meeting each other."

I gestured at the old ceiling above us. "And this whole structure could collapse on us before we finish this conversation. I don't need a guarantee that he'll live a long and happy life. I just want to give him the chance. It was Lorena's last wish."

"Very well." We walked deeper than I'd ever been in her territory, heading down a flight of steps that spiraled past long-forgotten arches and hallways. "Take the boy to see Costa. He has spent many years protecting his city, and he will know a good place for him there."

I stopped at the foot of the stairs. "You expect me to pay that jacknall a visit after he kept me prisoner? You still want me to become one of his Keepers, don't you?"

She stopped walking and turned to face me. "Costa is a Keeper but he is not in charge, he is simply one of the most experienced. He will help you because it is the right thing to do." She turned to continue down a large hallway. "And besides, you already are a Keeper. There is no grand ceremony to induct you into the fold. Your rites of passage have already been and gone. Costa will have to accept it, and you will as well. The ways of the Keepers have changed a great deal since the oldest order lost their ability to tap into the primal well that exists in The City. You will need his help until you understand the full measure of your responsibility."

I rolled my eyes and sighed quietly. "In case you've forgotten, I'm pretty adept at learning things on my own. Besides, I destroyed the door beneath the old library to keep him from sending more of his goons after me."

The Queen of Beggars chuckled as she pushed past an old door. "So experienced, yet you have so much still to learn."

I was irritated when I approached the doorway but that feeling was quickly replaced by surprise. The room she entered had a door on the other end of it that looked just like the one I had destroyed. She walked up to it and ran her fingers along its wooden planks as she spoke. "I did not show Costa this room when I brought him to The City. You can bring him back through here after you have seen to your son's future."

I almost said he wasn't my son but I decided it was better to let the point go for now. The day had been long and I was finally worn out. I used the door in the depths of her ruins to re-enter the clock tower, then turned in for some much-needed rest.

When I woke up, I caught Rory fingering a canister from one of my choke arrows, trying to figure it out. I took it from him before he could get us both gassed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to touch something that isn't yours?" I groaned quietly at how ridiculous that sounded coming out of my mouth.

"I was just curious," he admitted with a shrug. "Do I have to stay here all night while you run off again?"

"No. We're taking a little trip after you eat something." It was another awkward meal and I took in more questions than food, but since it was the last one we would have together, I let my patience be put to the test.

"Are you a criminal?"

"Yes."

"A kidnapper?"

"No. A thief."

"Trying a hand at ransom? They won't pay to get me back."

"I'm not a kidnapper. I'm doing a friend a favor."

"The lady who gave me the trinket and letter?"

"Yes."

"Is she a criminal, too?"

"She was."

"She was? You mean she's not anymore?"

"Finish eating. We need to go."

"Are you taking me to her?"

"No."

"Will I ever see her again?"

My appetite was nearly gone by then. I shook my head and took the rest of my food away.

"Who was she? I liked seeing her. I was hoping I'd see her again."

"Someone who cared." It wasn't my place to tell him anything different. "Come on. I have a, friend, that I want you to meet."

To say that Costa was unhappy to see me is an understatement. He almost grabbed me by the throat when I entered his study, but I moved quickly enough to dodge him and pinned him by the chest to the wall next to the door frame. "That's no way to behave when there's a child present."

When he looked down and saw Rory standing in the doorway, he stopped struggling against me. I waited until I felt the tension leave his back before I released him and stood near the boy.

"What... I don't even—" Costa took a breath. "Explain this, Garrett!"

"The Queen of Beggars said you might know someone in your city who'd be willing to adopt him."

"What? Why would I—" He looked at Rory, then at me, then the confusion on his face melted into sincere understanding. "Yeah... yeah, I might know someone... It will take some time, but, he can stay here until then."

This was easier than I thought it would be. I knelt down to take a long look at Rory and rubbed the glyph off his forehead in a gesture that looked like I was stroking his hair. He set down his bag of coins, then reached into his jacket pocket and held up the sunflower brooch.

"Should I give this to you," he wondered.

I was thoughtful for a moment, then I reached into my hip pouch for a fabric mask that was designed to be worn at a masquerade ball. I exchanged the brooch for the mask and told him, "Here. Never forget the lady who visited you," then turned to activate the door again.

"Garrett, wait." Costa ushered Rory towards the door and opened it to a stairwell leading away from his study. "Go pick a room for yourself but don't leave the building," he told him. After the boy disappeared down the stairs, Costa closed the door and took a hard look at me.

"Are you sure about what you're asking me to do, Garrett? If the boy is your son, you should keep him with you."

I shook my head again. "I'm nobody's father, and his mother wanted me to get him out of The City. That's what I'm doing." I shrugged and approached the door. "Besides. I can't be a Keeper if I'm babysitting, now can I?"

He sounded skeptical. "Then you will look after your city?"

"I haven't decided that yet, but the Queen of Beggars seems to think she's made up my mind for me." I felt weary just thinking about it. This wasn't something that I wanted but until I could figure out a way to do away with it altogether, I was going to have to play along. "Anyway, I've already saved The City, what, three times now? Not to mention how I helped Viktoria and the Trickster—"

"You what?" That familiar scowl covered Costa's face. "What did you do?!"

I took note of the dreadful details in Costa's wrinkled brow. Something told me I wasn't going to like his reaction but I decided to tell him anyway. "When I escaped here, I had help. Viktoria, the Lady of the Woods, brought me back to the Maw. She had me remove the Thorn of Vengeance from the Trickster's heart."

Costa slapped a hand to his forehand, gnashed his teeth and nearly stumbled where he stood. "How could you be so stupid as to do anything to help the trickster god? 'Trick' is in his name, for pity's sake!"

I didn't care for his insults but his reaction was telling me exactly what I suspected about my encounter with Viktoria.

"There is no such thing as the Thorn of Vengeance," he growled. "The Trickster was being kept weak by a plant called the Waning Weed. I know because Tai Jun, Botsan and I went after him with two other Keepers, and after a hard battle that cost us those Keepers' lives, we managed to plant it on him and escape with ours!"

I was angry at being tricked but being yelled at by Costa made me focus that anger in his direction. "I didn't know, all right? All I knew was that I owed them a favor after they helped me escape from you. Besides, weren't you the one who told Viktoria she'd have the chance to use me later if she let my soul escape the Maw?"

"I expected you to be reasonable enough to work with me after I helped you come back to life, so I would have the opportunity to warn you about the Trickster and his psychopathic consort!" He sighed away his frustration. "Now that he's been freed, your city is in more danger than you know."

The City was in danger. What else was new? Lately, that seemed to be the only thing I could expect to discover about it. I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the idea of working with the Keepers, but at least I knew I had a lot of interesting days ahead of me.

End