View source for Wavespire:Characters:Shayla:Backstory3

===Chapter 24===


The quesitor sighed and said, “Finally awake, I see.  My name is Quesitor Lemont.  You must be Aisling.”


I groaned in response.


I could barely see Lemont except for the fact that he was standing in the small amount of light let in by the open trapdoor.  I recognized him as the quesitor that suggested the others should kill me if there was no question about my identity the day that I was captured.  Seeing him now, with his short, brown well trimmed hair and goatee, I was reminded of an artist’s depiction of Satan.  


I muttered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you without the horns.”


He said, “I beg your pardon?”


I said, “Nothing.”


Lemont said, “That’s a nasty curse that Dugald put on you.  Still, from what we gathered, you were quite brave to stand up against him while he attacked your mind.  It was an interesting conversation that the two of you had.”


I didn’t say anything.  If they had pried into my memories so much already that they knew about my conversation with Dugald in my magically affected dream, they knew that I had spared his life.  Anything I could say at that point would simply incriminate me further.


He continued, “Half of those in our number think that you’re innocent, while the other half, think that you’re guilty.  One of them has chosen not to cast a vote, wanting more evidence before he decides.  I’ve never seen Dillon indecisive on a case, but you seem to have won him over.”


I asked, “And, which are you?”


Lemont said, “I voted that you were guilty, but I don’t think that you really are.”


I stammered, “Why?  If you know I never wanted to touch that power, how can you think I’m any threat to you?”


Lemont laughed and said, “You aren’t a threat to us at all, particularly not to me.  Why do you think I’m down here at your level talking to you?”


I asked, “Then why vote guilty?”


He said, “Because this situation is playing right into my hands.  I wanted to thank you.  I’ve been waiting for this moment a very long time.”


I muttered, “I don’t understand.”


Lemont said, “Without all of us decisive on a case like this one, it makes us look weak.  We can’t afford to look weak in front of the tribunal.  I’m using this case to champion my cause.  We need a High Quesitor to preside over these cases, someone to make rules to streamline judgment over infernalists so we never seem weak again.”    


I said, “So, let me guess, you would be this High Quesitor?”


He said, “Indeed.  You are a bright girl.  It does seem a shame to waste your life…”


Lemont reached out and touched my face.  He looked as though he wanted to kiss me.  I flinched away.  Before now, I thought I knew what loathsome was from working with Dugald, but this man made me feel dirty just for speaking to him.  


He chuckled slightly but continued, “That is exactly why I wanted you to know that your life wasn’t wasted.”


I said, “You’re talking as though they’ve already come to a verdict.”


He said, “They haven’t yet, but when I become High Quesitor, my first law will be that anyone exposed to the service to an infernalist for over a year is to be executed.  It will make this so much more efficient.  My second law is that in such clear cut cases the tribunal will not be allowed a vote.”


I said, “You seem pretty confident that you’re going to succeed.  What if you don’t?  Don’t you think it’s a liability to talk to me like this?”


Lemont said, “I’m sure that you’ll be killed either way.  Even if Dillon decides to spare you, your Master is so notorious; no one in the Order will vouch for you.  Someone would have to come forward and take you as an apprentice.  Let’s just say that the prospect isn’t in your favor.”


I said, “I don’t think the prospect of you attaining the position of High Quesitor is in your favor either.  Still, I can see that you also would rather cling to a false hope than to just give up.  Finally getting away from Dugald has taught me to latch hold of any hope I have left too, rather than to let the words of a talking sack of shit crush my spirit.”


Lemont said, “According to a few other memories I spied as they were taking you away, your hope came from attaining a lover.  Even if you are a monster, I’ll bet you miss the touch of a man, even now…”


He reached out and grabbed my hands.


I flinched away from him shaking with rage and said, “None of your business, and I see no man in here anyway.”


Lemont said, “I’m going to be a very powerful man in the very near future.  I could be willing to show a rare amount of mercy and spare you as a gesture of good will before I enact my first law, if you were to make it worth my while.  I like seeing women beg.”


He winked at me and unbuttoned a single button on his trousers.


I said, “You sicken me.  I hope they do search more of my memories for evidence, so that they’ll see what you said to me.  No one as corrupt as you deserves any position of power, much less one like you desire.”


Lemont laughed and said, “I’ve already marked this conversation as my own.  They won’t look to see what I’ve done or said.  It would be like scrying on a fellow Magus, and that’s against our rules.  Right now, I can do and say whatever I’d like, and so can you.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.”


I snarled, “I don’t know what to say, except that you’re a vile contemptible cockroach not worthy of my thoughts, or my attention.”


I turned away from him.


He said, “Oh yes, and the other reason I came down here was to loosen your tongue.  The others are about to pry into your mind again, and it seems you just aren’t the cooperative type.”


I muttered, “I’m cooperating just fine.  You haven’t asked me any…”


Before I could say anymore, he kicked me in the side.


I grumbled, “Son of a…”


He shouted, “Not going to talk, huh?”


He kicked me even harder in the stomach.  I felt the air woosh out of my lungs and I was left gagging and spitting blood.  


He said in a loud boisterous voice, “Tell me about Dugald.  What do you know about his plans?”


I tried to speak, but I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.  He kicked me in the forehead.  I saw stars for a moment.


He said even louder, “I can see your resolve to protect your Master, but he will come to justice and so will you.”


I could barely handle an audible whisper but I spat, “You bastard.  You won’t even let me talk?”


Lemont chuckled and whispered, “Well, you weren’t exactly begging, now were you?”


He kicked me hard in the mouth.  I bit my lip and blood flooded my mouth.  I suddenly had a new reason to live.  I already wanted to survive to one day rescue Maverick, and now I wanted to survive if nothing more than to spite Lemont as well.  He asked me more questions that he would kick my breath away before I could answer, until one of the other quesitors seemed to pick up on the fact that he was hurting me before I could answer, and took me out of the pit to interrogate me properly.