Page 29 of Skotos
“Did he see anyone go in?” Thomas asked.
Laskaris repeated the question. Another reply.
“He saw the king enter the gardens first. A few minutes later, the queen and the prince followed. They walked together. He says they seemed happy and relaxed.”
I jumped in. “And when did the queen and the prince leave?”
Laskaris translated, then paused to listen.
“They left after about fifteen minutes. The prince was picking flowers. The queen took his hand as they exited.”
“Did anyone else enter after them?” Thomas asked.
Laskaris asked, waited, then shook his head. “He saw no other guests or staff enter the gardens.”
“And the king?” I asked. “How long was he alone?”
Laskaris relayed the question. Tzannis responded slowly this time.
“He estimates about an hour. Another guard arrived to relieve him for rotation, so he walked his usual patrol circuit around the perimeter of the gardens.”
“What happened then?” Thomas asked.
Tzannis’s eyes narrowed slightly. His voice was quieter this time, and Laskaris leaned in to catch it.
“He found the king near an old cypress tree,” Laskaris said. “He was on his knees, one hand in the grass, the other stretched toward a flowering bush.”
“What kind of flowers?” I asked.
Tzannis blinked in surprise at the question, then responded.
“Blood-red anemones,” Laskaris translated.
Thomas glanced at me. I felt the chill settle into my chest.
“Was the king breathing?” Thomas asked.
“No. His eyes were open, though fixed and unresponsive.”
I asked, “Did you find anything in the garden? Anything unusual?”
Laskaris narrowed his eyes, staring a moment before translating.
TheLochiasshook his head, speaking slowly for the first time.
“He says there was nothing, only the grounds one expects in a garden,” Laskaris said. “Why would you ask that?”
I held the chief’s gaze. “Standard procedure.”
He clearly didn’t believe me.
The chief was a seasoned officer who knew a lie when he heard it. I hadn’t told an untruth, but I certainly hadn’t revealed what we knew. That was as good as lying, given the gravity of the situation, but it couldn’t be helped. Knowledge of the spear etching was known to only a few, and I wasn’t about to change that with a man who resisted our every attempt at helping.
“Was there anyone nearby? Anything at all unusual?” Thomas asked, tearing us away from our visual tug-of-war.
Tzannis gave a slow shake of his head.
“He says no. Nothing. It was quiet. Just like always.”
