Read Online The Devil's Evidence by Simon Kurt Unsworth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Simon Kurt Unsworth
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squirmed and tightened and loosened as it spoke. The demon was huge, filling the end of the room, its arms lying on the table. When it moved, it left brown and red smears behind it that glistened before drying to silvery flakes. After several long moments of silence, it spoke again.
“Yet again, you challenge Hell and we have to decide what to do with you. Is it true, what Mr. Tap says?”
“I don’t know, what does he say?” asked Fool and immediately regretted it.
I am the Commander of the Information Men of Hell, Rhakshasas itself has just used my full title, which must mean something, something I can’t see, can’t work out, don’t antagonize him, little insolent Fool.
“That you killed a bauta?”
“A bauta?”
“An Evidence Man, Fool, going about the lawful carrying out of its duty.”
I thought so.
“No.”
“No?”
“It was not going about lawful duty, it was killing an innocent man.”
“Innocent, Fool? Here?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” asked Rhakshasas, leaning forward, its tone if anything even colder. The entrails swelled around it, pumping themselves up, making the demon seem even larger. Were they a part of Rhakshasas, or some separate creature living on it like a parasite? Fool wasn’t sure, watched fascinated as they wriggled, moving like snakes around the demon’s shoulders and torso. “The bauta believed him to be guilty at the time of the incident, Fool. That makes you a murderer.”
“No. It had been told that the man’s guilt was impossible but chose to ignore the evidence presented to it by more experienced officers.”
“ ‘More experienced officers’? You, Thomas Fool, most important of the Information Men in Hell?”
“Yes. No. Yes, it came from me, but no, I’m not the most important.”
“I’m glad you recognize that, at least. And you have made no progress on the fires?”
“No.”
“And are there other things you may tell the Archdeacons, Fool? Things we need to know, which may mitigate your actions?”
The Man lives.
“No.”
“Then we have a problem, Fool. The bauta may have been impetuous, but it has the right to act according to how it sees fit. Mr. Tap and the Evidence Men may do as they like to reach the truth, Fool, and the bauta’s consumption of the man’s fears and pain would have revealed to it the truth of his innocence. You prevented this truth from being revealed, got in the way of justice, simply because you did not like the methods being used, and yet who are you to make that choice? You interrupted the Evidence Man in the course of his duty, Fool, and the Archdeacons cannot ignore it.”
Fool looked down, dropping his eyes from Rhakshasas’s constantly moving skin of gut and slime, away from the smell of it and the face that sat atop the moving body, grim and with eyes that were bloody and dark. His gun was on the floor by his feet.
“Would you pick it up, Fool, try to shoot me?” said Rhakshasas, seeing Fool’s gaze pick up the weapon.
“If I’m to die,” said Fool, bending and deliberately retrieving the gun, turning it in his hands slowly, “then I may as well take my chances.”
“Die, Fool? Who said anything about dying? No, Fool, you misunderstand. We’re sending you to Heaven.”
—
Heaven.
The word looped lazily out of Rhakshasas’s mouth and caught Fool in the side like a punch. It rocked him, sending his balance tilting, and he stepped sideways and dropped to one knee. His gun fell from his hand, skittering away across a floor that seemed to yaw and pitch beneath him.
Heaven.
Did this mean he was saved? To be Elevated? Had he atoned for his sins, whatever they were? Did it? Fool raised his head to look at Rhakshasas, who was leaning back in its chair and looking at Fool intently.
“Heaven?” It was hard to even speak the word. Had he ever spoken it out loud before? He wasn’t sure, but didn’t think so. Most people in Hell kept it inside themselves, like some secret talisman that
“Yet again, you challenge Hell and we have to decide what to do with you. Is it true, what Mr. Tap says?”
“I don’t know, what does he say?” asked Fool and immediately regretted it.
I am the Commander of the Information Men of Hell, Rhakshasas itself has just used my full title, which must mean something, something I can’t see, can’t work out, don’t antagonize him, little insolent Fool.
“That you killed a bauta?”
“A bauta?”
“An Evidence Man, Fool, going about the lawful carrying out of its duty.”
I thought so.
“No.”
“No?”
“It was not going about lawful duty, it was killing an innocent man.”
“Innocent, Fool? Here?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” asked Rhakshasas, leaning forward, its tone if anything even colder. The entrails swelled around it, pumping themselves up, making the demon seem even larger. Were they a part of Rhakshasas, or some separate creature living on it like a parasite? Fool wasn’t sure, watched fascinated as they wriggled, moving like snakes around the demon’s shoulders and torso. “The bauta believed him to be guilty at the time of the incident, Fool. That makes you a murderer.”
“No. It had been told that the man’s guilt was impossible but chose to ignore the evidence presented to it by more experienced officers.”
“ ‘More experienced officers’? You, Thomas Fool, most important of the Information Men in Hell?”
“Yes. No. Yes, it came from me, but no, I’m not the most important.”
“I’m glad you recognize that, at least. And you have made no progress on the fires?”
“No.”
“And are there other things you may tell the Archdeacons, Fool? Things we need to know, which may mitigate your actions?”
The Man lives.
“No.”
“Then we have a problem, Fool. The bauta may have been impetuous, but it has the right to act according to how it sees fit. Mr. Tap and the Evidence Men may do as they like to reach the truth, Fool, and the bauta’s consumption of the man’s fears and pain would have revealed to it the truth of his innocence. You prevented this truth from being revealed, got in the way of justice, simply because you did not like the methods being used, and yet who are you to make that choice? You interrupted the Evidence Man in the course of his duty, Fool, and the Archdeacons cannot ignore it.”
Fool looked down, dropping his eyes from Rhakshasas’s constantly moving skin of gut and slime, away from the smell of it and the face that sat atop the moving body, grim and with eyes that were bloody and dark. His gun was on the floor by his feet.
“Would you pick it up, Fool, try to shoot me?” said Rhakshasas, seeing Fool’s gaze pick up the weapon.
“If I’m to die,” said Fool, bending and deliberately retrieving the gun, turning it in his hands slowly, “then I may as well take my chances.”
“Die, Fool? Who said anything about dying? No, Fool, you misunderstand. We’re sending you to Heaven.”
—
Heaven.
The word looped lazily out of Rhakshasas’s mouth and caught Fool in the side like a punch. It rocked him, sending his balance tilting, and he stepped sideways and dropped to one knee. His gun fell from his hand, skittering away across a floor that seemed to yaw and pitch beneath him.
Heaven.
Did this mean he was saved? To be Elevated? Had he atoned for his sins, whatever they were? Did it? Fool raised his head to look at Rhakshasas, who was leaning back in its chair and looking at Fool intently.
“Heaven?” It was hard to even speak the word. Had he ever spoken it out loud before? He wasn’t sure, but didn’t think so. Most people in Hell kept it inside themselves, like some secret talisman that
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