your missing son as flimsy? The whole city has been searching for him, rewards have been offered. I pray your evidence is stronger on that account.”
“My son—”
“I’m right here, Father.”
Every eye in the room turned to the archway by the stage. Wylan leaned against the wall. His face was bloodied and he looked barely able to stand.
“Ghezen’s hand,” complained Van Eck beneath his breath. “Can no one do their jobs?”
“Were you relying on Pekka Rollins’ men?” Kaz mused in a low rasp.
“I—”
“And are you sure they were Pekka’s men? If you’re not from the Barrel, you might find it hard to tell lions from crows. One animal is the same as the next.”
Matthias couldn’t help the surge of satisfaction he felt as he saw realization strike Van Eck. Kaz had known there was no way to get Wylan into the church without Van Eck or the Dime Lions finding out. So he’d staged a kidnapping. Two of the Dregs, Anika and Keeg, with their armbands and fake tattoos, had simply strolled up to the stadwatch with their captive and told the men to fetch Van Eck. When Van Eck arrived in the chapel, what did he see? His son held captive by two gang members bearing the insignia of Pekka’s Dime Lions. Matthias hadn’t thought they’d rough Wylan up quite so badly, though. Maybe he should have pretended to break sooner.
“Help him!” Radmakker shouted to a stadwatch officer. “Can’t you see the boy is hurt?”
The officer went to Wylan’s side and helped him limp to a chair as the medik hurried forward to attend him.
“Wylan Van Eck?” said Radmakker. Wylan nodded. “The boy we’ve been tearing apart the city searching for?”
“I got free as soon as I could.”
“From Brekker?”
“From Rollins.”
“Pekka Rollins took you captive?”
“Yes,” said Wylan. “Weeks ago.”
“Stop your lies,” hissed Van Eck. “Tell them what you told me. Tell them about the Ravkans.”
Wylan lifted his head wearily. “I’ll say whatever you want, Father. Just don’t let them hurt me anymore.”
A gasp went up from the crowd. The members of the Merchant Council were looking at Van Eck with open disgust.
Matthias had to stifle a snort. “Has Nina been giving him lessons?” he whispered.
“Maybe he’s a natural,” said Kaz.
“Brekker is the criminal,” said Van Eck. “Brekker is behind this! You all saw him at my house the other night. He broke into my office.”
“That’s true!” said Karl Dryden eagerly.
“Of course we were there,” said Kaz. “Van Eck invited us there to broker a deal for Kuwei Yul-Bo’s indenture. He told us we’d be meeting with the Merchant Council. Pekka Rollins was waiting to ambush us instead.”
“You’re saying he violated a good faith negotiation?” said one of the councilmen. “That seems unlikely.”
“But we all saw Kuwei Yul-Bo there too,” said another, “though we did not know who he was at the time.”
“I’ve seen the poster offering a reward for a Shu boy matching Kuwei’s appearance,” Kaz said. “Who provided his description?”
“Well …” The merchant hesitated, and Matthias could see suspicion warring with his reluctance to believe the charges. He turned to Van Eck, and his voice was almost hopeful when he said, “Surely, you didn’t know the Shu boy you described was Kuwei Yul-Bo?”
Now Karl Dryden was shaking his head, less in denial than disbelief. “It was also Van Eck who pushed us to join Rietveld’s fund.”
“You were just as eager,” Van Eck protested.
“I wanted to investigate the secret buyer purchasing jurda farms in Novyi Zem. You said—” Dryden broke off, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. “It was you! You were the secret buyer!”
“Finally,” muttered Kaz.
“You cannot possibly believe I would seek to swindle my own friends and neighbors,” Van Eck pleaded. “I invested my own money in that fund! I had as much to lose as the rest of you.”
“Not if you made a deal with the Shu,” said Dryden.
Radmakker banged his gavel once more. “Jan Van Eck, at the very least, you have squandered the resources of this city in pursuing unfounded accusations. At the worst, you have abused your position as a councilman, attempted to defraud your friends, and violated the integrity of this auction.” He shook his head. “The auction has been compromised. It cannot go on until we have determined whether any member of the Council knowingly channeled funds to one of the bidders.”
The Shu ambassador began yelling. Radmakker banged his gavel.
Then everything seemed to happen at once. Three Fjerdan drüskelle surged toward the stage and the stadwatch rushed to block them. The Shu soldiers pushed