She did not say the word aloud, yet the room took it in, as it took in everything, and threw it at the feet of everyone present. All heads turned. The chairman froze. Volkward frowned. Airis spun around, eyes widening in shock. “Eva!” she gasped.
“I as-KED for Sil-ENCE,” the chairman shrieked, beside himself. “The PUB-lic may SPEAK lat—”
“My name is Eva No-Stocking,” Eva interrupted, stepping down the stairs. Her heart pounded, her thoughts raced, yet her voice was steady. “I am Grand Master of the Conclave Aeris Fidelium, First Pilot, Enforcer of the Air Sovereignty of the Cloud Islands, and Guardian of the Free Sky.”
Several delegates drew sharp breaths. Out of the corner of her eye, Eva saw Volkward and a few councillors leaning forward in tense attention. Airis flinched as if struck. “Eva?” she breathed.
“Honourable Council, hear me,” Eva continued, stepping into the speaking circle beside her friend. For the first time, a sharpness entered her tone. “The Order does not stand by statements made under outside influence. Nor will it serve as a moral pawn—neither for trade interests nor political maneuvering.”
Volkward’s lips curved in a thin smile. Several council members frowned in confusion.
“The witness may be convinced of what she says,” Eva concluded. “But conviction does not replace knowledge of the situation—and belonging to the Order does not grant a mandate.”
She turned slightly, sweeping her gaze across the hall.
“My Master,” she went on, “acted beyond her command. She gathered information whose sources she herself cannot disclose. And she has been in contact with actors who are not part of the lawful order of the Cloud Islands.”
Airis’ face went pale. “Eva, that is—”
“You were abducted. And now you are being manipulated.”
A murmur rippled through the rows. Airis’ shoulders tensed. “No,” she retorted, “I was detained, yes—but I stand here of my own will.”
Eva shook her head. “You were taken from Goldendale under threat of violence. They isolated you, controlled you, withheld information. That is called manipulation.”
“No one manipulates me,” Airis shot back. Her voice was firm, but Eva knew her well enough to hear the tremor beneath. “And no one forces me to say anything. I’ve weighed everything carefully, and I stand by it.”
“Because they only showed you part of the truth,” said Eva sharply. This time there was anger.
“What do you know about it?” cried the other. “You weren’t there! You didn’t see, you don’t know what they showed me!”
“And you didn’t see what they did to Goldendale,” Eva countered.
Silence fell.
“I saw burning villages,” she said finally. “Empty granaries. Fields turned to scorched earth. People killed and driven away.” Her voice grew rough. “The pirates are ravaging the island.”
Airis lost another shade of color. “They… they didn’t tell me that.”
“Of course not,” said Eva. “They wanted you to believe they were the good ones.”
“E-NOUGH!” bellowed the chairman, but no one obeyed.
“You brought the Order into this,” Eva went on, now addressing her friend as though they were alone. “You invoked our good name before the Council without saying under whose influence your statement was made. The Order can—and will—never speak for pirates.”
Airis lifted her chin defiantly. “I’m not speaking for pirates, what do you take me for? I did this because it was right! We swore an oath—to protect the people of the Islands!” Desperately, she seized Eva’s hands. “The Guild manipulates the wind, Eva. They’re exploiting Goldendale. Have you seen the device? Have you heard what it can do?” “Yes,” said Eva. “I found one myself on Goldendale. But”—she cast a glance at the merchant guild’s bench—“we must tread carefully. It’s too soon for an accusation.”
Suddenly, Volkward stood up. “Honourable Council,” he said in a voice brimming with barely contained satisfaction, “may I officially state that it has just been confirmed—the testimony before this high chamber was made with the cooperation, albeit indirect, of outlaws?”
Several councillors gasped in outrage.
“That the Order,” he continued, “apparently sees fit to carry the positions of criminals into this hall?”
The chairman struck the gavel—once, twice, three times. His voice trembled. “Did the RE-VERED WIT-ness HAVE con-TACT with PI-RATES to OB-TAIN this IN-FOR-ma-TION?”
Eva answered before Airis could. “Yes,” she said. “But not of her own free will.”
Silence descended.
Then, almost in passing, Eva noticed a detail: a seat that had been occupied moments ago was now empty. Vaska was gone.
The chairman struck his gavel again. “The Council DEMANDS clar-i-TY,” he shouted. “I see the SPOK-es-man of the GUILD is pre-sent. How does the GUILD re-SPOND?”
The guild’s spokesman stepped forward, bowing briefly. “In light of the accusations,” he said, “I move to exclude the public. This concerns internal trading mechanisms and security-related infrastructure.” Several councillors were already nodding.
“The MO-tion is gran-TED,” the chairman ruled. “The SES-sion shall CON-tinue in PRI-vate.”
The foyer felt like a stripped-down replica of the great chamber—same pale stone, same spaciousness, same quality of amplifying every sound beyond its measure. Voices carried far down the corridor, footsteps echoed, and even the faintest cough multiplied itself uninvited. The slightly sniffly public had already gathered and formed small clusters around the handful of benches by the entrance. A few students from the cathedral school lingered excitedly—rarely had anything so dramatic happened here. Some curious citizens, traders, and craftsmen were engaged in hushed conversations. The elderly had settled on the stone benches; the rest stood about in anxious anticipation, whispering fervently.
Corwin stood with his back against a column, coat open, arms crossed. Finn leaned beside him, one leg bent, as if he were constantly debating whether to stay or just leave. When Airis emerged from the chamber, both men lifted their heads at once.
“Good thing you’re still alive,” said Finn as she embraced them both.
Corwin smiled in visible relief. “And you managed to throw the entire Council into turmoil. Impressive.”
Airis gave a humorless laugh. “That wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I hoped for a different outcome.”
“I think that goes for all of us,” Finn murmured.
They exchanged a few quiet words, then the door opened again, and Eva stepped into the foyer.
It was as if thunder had struck. Conversations faded; all eyes turned toward her. Airis lowered her head instinctively. Corwin straightened and waved her over. When Eva saw her friends, she quickened her pace.
“That was an utterly disastrous entrance,” she said bluntly to Airis. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
Airis crossed her arms, shoulders raised. “You humiliated me,” she said.
“Yes,” Eva replied, “but not because I wanted to.”
Airis’ eyes narrowed. “You made me look like a puppet. Why? Why couldn’t you just trust me?”
Eva drew a deep breath. Behind her, footsteps echoed; somewhere, fabric rustled—yet everyone seemed to hold their breath, listening.
“Because you crossed a line,” she said at last.
Airis swallowed. “Maybe I did,” she admitted, “but believing it was right. I told the truth.”
“I believe you,” said Eva. “But you brought the Order into your testimony—and that’s something no one may do, not even me. The Conclave is greater than all of us. We must do everything to preserve it.”
A moment passed—long enough for the silence to become uncomfortable.
Then Eva took her hand. “I’m sorry for what happened in there,” she said gently. “And for the record—we suspect the Guild too. We just don’t have enough proof yet.”
“But I do!” Airis protested. “Now no one will believe me! You made me look foolish.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you—I wanted to protect you,” said Eva. “Did you know a pirate was in the hall the whole time you spoke?”
Airis’ eyes widened in shock. “No!”
“The documents you showed,” Corwin cut in, “where did you get them?”
“The cartographer gave them to me—one of the, well, you know,” Airis explained, “but I saw the device with my own eyes.”
“Where did you see it—on Highseed?”
“No, on La Vergüenza, where they kept me.”
Eva and Corwin exchanged stunned looks, then burst out talking at once.
“La Vergüenza!” — “The pirates have their own—” — “What could they want with—”
“Would you two please shut up!” Finn hissed, and they fell silent.
“We need a plan,” he whispered. “The pirates are playing a double game, but the Guild can’t be trusted either. The Order will be crushed if you’re not careful.”
“The Order has its duty to fulfill,” came a familiar voice behind them.
Hinnerk Volkward stood there—tall, dark red, with a cutting smile on his lips.
“The private session has ended. The chairman authorized me to deliver the Central Council’s command to you: restore order on Goldendale and pursue the pirates into their rat holes to bring them to justice.”
“So all suspicions against the Guild are off the table?” asked Eva, meeting his piercing gaze.
“Beyond the last shadow of doubt—just as truth demands. And now we ask you to let this matter rest and carry out your task as assigned.”
“The Order is no dog to be sent into a corner,” Eva snapped.
“Of course not,” Volkward replied—but his face proved otherwise. “But I need hardly remind you, Grand Master, that the Central Council holds authority over the Conclave. If you take offense at my being the messenger, forgive me—it merely saves the poor chairman his breath.”
“How very generous of you,” said Eva dryly. “You do know a thing or two about saving.”
The man burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Well said, Grand Master. Saving is a fine source of income.”
With that, he turned on his heel and swept away.
“What a slippery bastard,” muttered Finn.
“Disgusting,” said Airis, shuddering. “If the Council believes the Guild’s lies, we’ll have to come up with something.”
Corwin looked to Eva. “What now, Grand Master?”
Eva remained perfectly calm, lost in thought. When her friend addressed her, she raised her head, and determination hardened her gaze.
“First we free Goldendale,” she said, “and smoke out the pirates. Then we fly to La Vergüenza and find out what that Griffin guy wants. And after that, it’s the Guild’s turn. Who sows the wind—we’ll bring them the storm.”