I am still wondering what Stillwater is planning. Why give up your career over something that has been dealt with? The barracks look gloomy, even though the building is well-lit. Just not my favourite place, and I am a Watchman; well, for now. This silence is really getting on my nerves, but no way to the pits of the Abyssus would I speak out of turn here. I like my head where it is. If I say the wrong thing, Stillwater will chew it off and spit it out.

Think I have never been in here at this time of night. Well, not sober, or with my face mashed up from some stupid fight. Well, not a fight, more like an ambush. Glad Malik is dead.

Skeleton crew on. Weird that, at the time when the most crime happens, fewer Watchmen are on. On top of his wooden 'throne' sits that tinker’s dam of a Gnome, Desk Sergeant Saul Tinkertoes.

“So, what have we got here tonight? Ah, Corporal Stillwater, you had the evening off. Commander Zlata—”

“Acting Commander Zlata, Saul,” Stillwater interrupts.

“Yes, of course,” he sneers at Stillwater. A growl rumbles out of Gunnar's throat. “But it is Sergeant Saul to you, corporal! She still has the power to demote you, and I heard that Axel is still in a critical condition.”

“You are a spineless pencil pusher, Sergeant Saul! When was the last time you actually did some real work? You may have been in the Watch for twenty years, but you are never going anywhere.”

His face nearly matches his scarlet hair. Never understood why he has that stupid pencil moustache, it looks like a caterpillar decided to nest above his lip.

“How dare you? I am your superior officer!”

Gunnar chuckles. “You might have rank, Twinkletoes, but you are not anyone’s superior anything.”

His face is like a beetroot now. It is very entertaining. He would be a great addition to our act for the fake talent show.

“You poor, blind man. Can’t see beyond the lacklustre of your desk.” I guess it’s WayWocket’s turn now. This will be good. “See only if you move beyond the desk. Fear, yes, fear! Fear is your latch, your badge. It straps you to the desk. Embrace the dawn. The night is nearly over.”

“How dare you?” he says, standing and trying to loom over us. All that standing does not make him tall. And I have not even said anything. Do I really need to? “I’ll have you stripped of your tabards! Wait till I tell the Commander, you pathetic excuse for a Dwarf. I know your family threw you out onto the street because you knocked up an Elf!”

Say what now?

“And you, you drug reject. You are just a waste of space. You should have stayed as Cyric's pet. You will never be a real Gnome!”

A movement, so quick I blink, and it is done. It is Stillwater, with her hand wrapped around Saul's throat. She has lifted him up and over the desk. She looks around to give any onlookers a stare that would chill the blood. His face is turning a nice blue colour now.

“Listen, and listen well. I care little for you and your imagined authority. If you ever insult my people, we are taking off the tabards and going a few rounds in the duelling pits. Then I’ll show you that you are the pathetic one, not my people!” And with that, she drops him three feet to the ground where he lands on his arse and glares up at Stillwater.

Rubbing his neck, he yells, “You'll pay for that, Stillwater!”

“Will I? You are the so-called night sergeant. Where were the patrols for the warehouse district? Why were the gas-lighters not doing their job? The grain bins were nearly poisoned! If we hadn’t disobeyed Zlata's orders tonight, you would have been eating poisoned bread in a few days’ time!”

Here we go. I thought she was going to be subtle. I guessed wrong.

The little fool splutters. “What do you mean? You’re wrong, Stillwater!” This guy is too stupid to do all this. He turns to a Watchwoman and snaps, “Corporal Lien, where is the duty roster?” The young lady runs off and returns with papers. “Give that here! Let me see … There! You are wrong! Ursula's and Kurt's squads were assigned to that area.”

“Sergeant, there is a note attached to it too,” Corporal Lien says, pointing.

“Foolish girl, give me that!” His eyes cross the page. Must be something interesting written on it because his face goes from red to pale. He passes the note to Stillwater. What does it say?

“I see that your duty roster was changed by Acting Commander Zlata.” Stillwater clears her throat. She is becoming calmer after reading the note. After what has happened today, I can see how hard it is for her to stay composed. “I see you are not at fault. For suggesting that you were, I am sorry.”

“Truly?” Saul asked. At her nod, he continues. “You need to speak to the Commander immediately—Axel, I mean. Maybe even the Count, if you tell everyone that I helped. On second thoughts, um, I just can't believe that someone in our proud organisation would do this. We are here to protect the public. Where do we go from here?”

“Well, Saul, I will be writing up a report outlining the evidence we have, which includes the poison that they were going to use. I am going to keep your name out of it. I will state that I discovered the note and the missing patrols myself.”

For Jara’s sake, they are taking their time. This is becoming boring. I just want to do this thing, go home, and sleep. He is mad, she is mad, blah, blah, blah, they kiss and make up. Now we will write reports, WayWocket will do his thing to find out what that stuff was, and then we are kicked out of the Watch. Even if it points straight to Zlata, it is naive to think that she doesn’t have contingency plans for this.

Back to the conversation. Saul stammers “No, um, no, Stillwater. You, you don't have to keep my name out of it.”

The sweat starts to drip down his face. “If I don't, there will be no one left in here I will truly know who is honest.” Wow, know how to balderdash the crowd, Stillwater. “We need you here to corroborate our claims. When I take this to the Count, no one will be able to sweep it under the rug.”

Saul bends forward and lowers his voice. “You didn’t hear this from me. There is no way for you to show him this report if you are not part of the Watch. I have seen the reprimands that Zlata wrote up on you. She has discredited you. No higher official will even look in your general direction.”

Gunnar interrupts, “Hey, boss, this moron—” Sticks his thumb in my direction. “—is going to be presented with some trumped-up reward. He’ll appear to be Zlata's pet, so we can go in with him and tell the Count.”

I would really like to punch that bloody Dwarf in the face—hard! Breathe in and out. I am the master of my emotions. “Yes, Joan, you could do that, but I have no idea how. I mean, it is not like we are in a registered Charter and you can use—” Everyone is now smiling at me, not weird at all. “What? What did I say?”

WayWocket pipes up, doing a little jig, “See, see, follow Dawn. He shall illuminate the path! Yes, yes, I was right. The dawn!”

Stillwater smiles while she watches WayWocket bounce around. “Good work, Lone. After being kicked out—not that I want that to happen—we can go to the Hall and register ourselves as a Charter. Then there is no way they can impede us from attending the ball. Well, Saul, keep your nose out of this, and you should be fine. Better yet, side with Zlata ...”

“Yeah, yeah that sounds like a good idea!” He touches his nose like he has a big secret. “As long as I am in her good books, um, I can help out.

Always out for yourself, aren’t you, Saul? Every time I have come in here, he has just been some grumpy tool behind a desk. Now he is a coward too. I swear he even has a cushion so he can raise himself up higher.

“I am glad you understand, Saul, as this is the only way I can think to proceed. The last two years, being slowly pushed out of my position, it feels like this isn't the place for me anymore.”

“Don't leave on this note, Joan!” Saul says, dry washing his hands like a frightened mouse. “Yes, you have been pushed out, but you have been here since you were a young snapper. We'll get past this, don't worry about it. Once that happens, we’ll need good officers, and you are one of them.”

“Thank you for your sentiment, but where were you when I was transferred to the Rejects? Where were you when corruption began to stain these hallowed halls? Where were you when Zlata made all these new 'rulings'? You are a good administrator, Saul, but not the best judge of character. This has been coming for a while. I don't want to leave, but there is nothing here for me now.”

Judging by his souring expression, that does not sit well with Saul. I guess having the truth thrown in your face makes you pissed! “Well then, Corporal Stillwater, you are dismissed! I expect your report on my desk by the morning!”

She salutes Saul. His face shows his anger, but I can still see fear in his eyes. That is strange.

Stillwater turns to us. “Downstairs. Let’s finish this.”