dance of law 10

 there is an almost sinful luxury in being read to in bed before getting up, which can be addressed by the Raven-like level of casuistry that it's work because it's the proof of Mikolaj and therefore essential. 

 

Chapter 10

 

“Or we could share the bed,” said Helena.

“No!” said Faustyn, going almost as red as his boots. “I ... there is no way I could share a bed with you and manage to behave as I should. You will have the bed, and I will have the floor.”

“The Raven way is for one of us to be inside the bed and for the other to have bedclothes and lie on top of it,” said Helena. “I believe my brother survived a couple of weeks of doing that with Mariola.”

“The fellow is made of iron,” said Faustyn.  “Oh no, we did not bring night gowns.”

“I have a spare shirt in my saddle-bag,” said Helena. “I can turn my back while you get undressed and into bed, and you can turn your back while I strip to my shirt and I will wear the clean one tomorrow.”

“How can you take this so calmly?”

“Because if I don’t make myself be calm I would be begging you to kiss me and touch all the places you make me feel nice,” said Helena.

He groaned and pulled her into his arms.

“If I don’t kiss you, I’m going to explode,” he said. She put up her face for his kiss, and he felt her shiver in pleasure against him as his lips met hers. He made himself step away.

“It is more than lust, you know,” he said. “I liked how you worked things out about me, but I still want to know you better. But it’s damnably hard being close to you and not ... not touching you in any way. Perhaps now we’ve assuaged that a little ...”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I had no idea kissing was so wonderful!”

“Nor had I,” said Faustyn. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Well, believe it or not, I ... I’ve always been the reserved, quiet, shy one,” said Helena. “But ... but you do things to me which rather overwhelms that.”

“And I know you like horses,” said Faustyn.  His voice was shaking slightly.

“Oh, the whole family like horses,” said Helena. “I also like reading, and making things, papercrafts and so on.”

“I haven’t had much opportunity to pursue avocations,” said Faustyn. “I am interested in collecting old folk tales, when I hear them, I play the violin badly, and I sing in the bath. Somewhat better than I play the violin.”

“Do you enjoy playing the violin?”

“Yes, but I don’t have time to keep in practice, so it is a most indifferent skill. I play it to relax.”

“Well if you enjoy it, that is a good reason to play. I am insufficiently musical to be daunted. I expect Mariola would have a cat.”

He laughed.

Somehow they got through the night with no worse mishap than waking up wrapped around each other.

Helena decided not to mention how far his hands had strayed.

 

 

***

 

Konrad took Marcjanna to what was now the Bystrzanowscy residence, with the page Lew in attendance.

“Strip down and we’ll get you kitted out,” said Mariola. Marcjanna blushed.

“My lord, you might not be old enough to feel urges, but I am embarrassed to strip in front of a boy,” she said.

“Oh, didn’t anyone tell you? Lew the page is a convenient fiction, I’m Mariola Bystrzanowska,” said Mariola. “Being Lew enables me to work better with my Kazik.  Like Florian is Floriana and Leon is Helena. I do hope she’s gentle with Lord Szadurski, but Helena is the phlegmatic one, so hopefully he will return undamaged.”

“Un ... undamaged?”

“Figure of speech ... unless he gets unduly fresh with her, when he’s likely to discover that a sabre is also a good chaperone.  We’ll have to teach you sabre drill. Right let’s get you bound up tight and boy-shaped, which is also nice and comfortable, and then you can wear a shirt with trousers after taking off your kontusz and żupan to fight a duel, or whatever.”

“Er ...” said Marcjanna.

“Well, you’ll be learning sabre drill at school, and if you want to be Konrad’s page you should learn enough to stand up for yourself and make the sort of showing a young szlachcic does,” said Mariola. “Well, you do want to be Konrad’s page, don’t you?  I thought I saw an admiring look in your eyes.”

“Is ... is that the lord who brought me here? He is kind and gentle.”

“He’s one of our gentle souls, yes. But there’s nothing wrong with his swordplay. He’s a good warrior; Ulan trained.”

“Is ... is that important to you?”

“Of course; we’re szlachta. Being warriors is part of what we are.”

“Do you count me?”

“Of course.  And you’ll be properly educated. Your brother will go to school, and he won’t be the only bastard. My brother-in-law Władysław took on the lands of a traitor who spread his seed about.”

“Oh, some of the current children in training are Marcin’s;  He thought it would be a good idea to sire apprentice thieves with the superior heritance of szlachta.”

“It isn’t, necessarily, just usually better trained,” said Mariola. “So the oldest are ... five?”

“Yes, and some have just started learning,” said Marcjanna.

“This will end,” said Mariola. “Kazimierz said this is your job, but I plan to be there to raid him when we have more evidence.  Dawid and Florek have gone to Warszawa to collect the ones in prison there. We’ll wait on Faustyn and Leon to rescue those in brothels.  It’s a good job that Tatar raids for slaves have reduced so much or I wouldn’t put it past him to sell those who fail or those who get too old to the Ottomans.”

“Do you think ...”

“No, I don’t, because Ewcia has been seen in Warszawa.  If she’s a pretty girl and your brother did not take her virginity, Marcin didn’t think to sell her outside the country. Which as nobody has ever been able to get any slaves back is one good thing.”

“How horrible! Though being killed ...”

“There are worse things than dying, and going to God,” said Mariola soberly.

“If Paweł is dead, he will be long in purgatory for stealing.”

“Less time than if he did it for his own selfish reasons rather than to support you and Andrzej,” said Mariola. “If he is dead, we will pray for his soul.  Now, go without preconceived ideas, and if you ride sedately you should get there as it gets dark, so you can sneak about unseen. Your hair is already short.”

“He said that plaits took too long to care for and could be grabbed.”

“They can. But I’ll neaten you up and make you more of a boy.”

Dressed as a szlachcic, Marcjanna could pass as a twin to Andrzej.

“The natural name for you to take as a page would be Marcin, but I can see that the name would not be pleasing to you,” said Mariola. “You could be Jan or a variant, from the second part of your name.”

“I ...will go as Dyzma,” said Marcjanna. “It will remind me what I am and what I have to atone for.”

“A brave choice,” said Mariola. “You look a regular little boy; let us show Konrad.”

They went out to where Konrad waited, with a cup of tea and sweet cake, the maids making eyes at him and vying to bring him things. Mariola grinned. He was a handsome boy with his sleek, butter-coloured hair and matching neat moustaches, grown straight, and if she had realised it, in imitation of her brother Seweryn. He was also totally unaware of why the maids were so helpful.

One at least of the maids realised she had no chance, on seeing his eyes light upon the former girl, shock in Konrad’s eyes.

“Why ... she looks like Andrzej!” he said.

“Meet Dyzma,” said Mariola. “She’s going to need a horse. Uh ... can you ride, Dyzma?”

“After a fashion,” said Marcjanna. “Papa did teach us. Andrzej knows least.”

“Well, he can catch up at school, where many of the others had not been given much instruction. And the other szlachta from your band will be going.”

“But where will the rest go?” asked Marcjanna.

“I’m hoping my brother-in-law will set up a sister school to teach them more appropriate and less taxing skills,” said Mariola. “As a szlachcic, Andrzej must learn sabre, and mathematics, more Latin, grammar, logic, history, geography, horsemanship, how to get artillery pieces up a mountain and drop shot on anywhere that needs it, how to bridge a chasm and so on. I doubt most of your fellows would thank you for wishing them into such study!”

“No, probably not,” said Marcjanna.

“Should I saddle her a horse in the stables?” asked Konrad, a little diffidently.

“No, you’ll talk her through saddling a horse in the stable,” said Mariola. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I think so, but will you run through it?” said Konrad.

“Making a reconnaissance over Marcin Podolski’s lands and see if there’s any obvious place he might have put inconvenient bodies.  See if you can get a look at the layout of the building and what thoughts you have on snatching the children he has there at the moment. When you get back, the two of you will be building a model of the place from pasteboard so we have a good idea how to hit him without him using the children as shields or hostages. Don’t do anything to draw attention to yourselves, don’t go getting too clever, unless you have a reason you can justify to Kazimierz, and Lord Młocki, my father and Władysław Sokołowski. You’ll be explaining your motives to all of them if you mess up.”

“Yes, my lord, uh, I mean Lady Bystrzanowska.”

“Under the circumstances, ‘my lord’ is appropriate,”  said Mariola. “Let the child have a cup of tea first and if you haven’t pigged all the cake, a piece of cake.”

“The maid said cook was making another,” said Konrad, looking like a guilty schoolboy.

“Just feed your whelp and get on your way,” said Mariola.

 

 

Dawid and Floriana were riding to Warszawa. They had letters to transfer the juvenile pick-pockets to Większy-Bydlin under the auspices of Starosta Młocki with the blessing of Faustyn Szadurski.

The substarosta they spoke to looked over their papers.

“It all seems in order,” he said. “You’re surely not planning to return tonight? I know the nights are long, but I’ve orders here to send them by coach with you as outriders, and it may be three hours on horseback to enthusiasts, but it’ll be five hours by coach.”

Floriana opened her mouth to say that Mama Raven had not taken so long bringing a wounded Mariola back after her report of treachery to the king, and then shut it. The king had loaned his best coach, six horses, and Ulan outriders. It made a difference. The law enforcement budget did not run to such luxuries.

“One forgets that some people go by coach,” said Dawid.

“Oh, well, if you don’t mind sharing a room, you can stay in my house overnight,” said the substarosta.

“Thank you, my lord; most generous,” said Floriana.

 

“I can’t share a room with you; you’re a girl!” hissed Dawid as they saw to their horses at the substarosta’s house.

“My lord, I’m too tired to take advantage of your youth and innocence,” said Floriana.

He stared, then laughed.

“I confess, I’m not lively myself,” he said. He produced a pair of dice. “Highest takes the bed, lowest the floor?”

“Seems fair,” said Floriana.

“We can sleep in underwear and worry about not smelling when we get home,” said Dawid. “When you’ve been on the march for a couple of weeks, everyone smells and nobody notices.”

“Same if you’re on a cattle drive,” said Floriana. “No point being fussy when working; we can wash one at a time tomorrow if there’s water to be had.”

 

 

***

 

 

Konrad and Marcjanna rode in the same direction in which Dawid and Floriana had gone, but crossed the Wisła before it became so braided as it was further down its course, and rode on the road to the east of the river, noting the villages they passed through until Konrad said,

“I think we are close.”

“I ... you will think me stupid; I have only been taken places in a closed coach. I recognise city streets because we are made to learn maps, but ... if I was on the lands I might know...”

“Did you never go to market with your mother or ride out with your father?”

She put her head in her hands.

“I must have done ... my lord, can we stop and dismount, so I may think?”

“Of course.”

He helped her down.

“The nearest market is Józefów,” she said. “It’s a short walk.”

“We just came through Józefów,” said Konrad.

“Oh! We take a track to the left, down towards the river,” said Marcjanna. “I ... I am sorry, I .... sometimes it seems that life before is a dream which I can only reach when I am asleep, too beautiful to be real.”

Konrad put an arm around her.

“We’ll try to make things right for you,” he said.

She leaned against him, then straightened.

“I’d like to leave the horses,” she said.

“We’ll go back to Jósefów and take a couple of rooms in the inn,” said Konrad. “We’ll want to bed down after our reconnaissance anyway, and it’s early yet, so might as well be done now as later. The horses will be well cared for there, and we can go on foot.”

She nodded.

She was hoping that some questions would be answered by this covert return to home.

 

Dance of Law 1

 In the absence of a positive vote one way or the other the coin flip was for Mariola 2 aka Dance of Law in which we find out how much mayhem can be caused by a pair of Ulans on secondment whilst Substarosta Bystrzanowski is on honeymoon, and how they learn to be useful. 

Chapter 1

 

The Ulans, Konrad Hulewicz and Dawid Starski, were not comfortable.

They were in the office of substarosta Kazimierz Bystrzanowski, and the auburn-haired officer was frowning. So was his little blond page, who was rumoured not to be a boy at all, but the substarosta’s wife.

“And furthermore,” said Kazimierz, in biting tones, “Having used city property, to wit, the said coroner’s gig, for purposes not suited to it, which is to say the transport of criminals, to the consternation of the coroner, you then managed to ... if I may quote your report ... ‘bend’ it around the pillory.”

Hulewicz winced.

“Bending a gig is never going to end well,” said Kazimierz.  “And from what I understand, this is because one of you saw a thief you had failed to apprehend with the others, and you leaped on the horse to ride after him, forgetting that it was still harnessed to the said gig.”

The men exchanged looks. They were almost as opposite in looks as was possible; Hulewicz was short and stocky with hair as blond as a Saxon, a rigid and straight moustache; and Starski was tall, thin and swarthy, with dark, wavy hair, and his moustache long and defiant, a definite Cossack look to him.

“I bent the gig, substarosta,” said Starski. “I didn’t want him to get away.”

“But he did get away, didn’t he?” said Kazimierz. “During the time the coroner’s gig was engaging in futile miscegenation with the pillory.”

“I don’t see why the city has to keep a pillory and whipping post in such an inconvenient place,” said Starski.

“It isn’t inconvenient if you aren’t trying to wrap gigs around it,” said Kazimierz. “You’ll be having the cost of the gig docked from your pay.  I am disappointed, I really am. You were recommended highly by your commanding officer as clever, and potential officer material, and he thought you would do well to cover as deputies to the starosta whilst I was on honeymoon.  So far, you’ve apprehended a gang of thieves, which is to your credit. You have also frisked the eminently respectable wife of a goldsmith in the belief that she was a man in disguise, bent the coroner’s gig, been reported for almost running over a group of drunken szlachta when riding too fast to respond to a summons, been reported for spraying a wedding party with mud and horse shit when riding too fast to respond to a summons, generally riding too fast, oh, and straining the fetlock of the starosta’s horse by unauthorised borrowing of it and riding it too fast. There’s a pattern or three here, boys; unauthorised borrowing, which is known in the trade as ‘stealing’; riding too fast;  and carelessness. Now I commend your enthusiasm but I do not actually think much of being pulled off my honeymoon to sort you out as if you were a pair of errant nephews the schoolmaster needs me to take my belt to!”

“We’re very sorry, substarosta,” said Hulewicz, standing on his partner’s foot. “We’re overtrained as Ulans, I suppose.”

“Yes, we do everything at the gallop,” said Starski, opening his eyes wide for effect.

“Less of the puppy-dog eyes, Starski,” said Kazimierz. “Do bear in mind that my cousin, Bazyli Tataryn is an Ulan captain, so I do know something about your training.”

“Oh, bugger,” said Starski.

“Precisely,” said Kazimierz. “Oh, bugger indeed.  I know you haven’t had the training, and I’m sorry about that, but the idea was that you would be a presence as deputy substarosty, sent out to assist and back up constables in arrests, so the lawless elements did not think they could have free rein just because I was enjoying the first weeks of marriage.  And not only have you managed to be more trouble than most of the criminals, but I appear to have a desk full of the problems you precious pair of babes in arms did not consider exciting enough to investigate.”

That had both of them flushing.

“We wouldn’t know where to start with some of them,” said Hulewicz.

“No, I don’t suppose you would,” said Kazimierz. “Lew here figured it out quite quickly but then my page keeps his brains in his head, not in the place from which he rides.”

The two Ulans flushed again.

“My lord, that’s not fair!” burst out Starski.

“Isn’t it?” said Kazimierz. “You’re both at least twenty, and my page has a way to go yet. But I am seeing notes on some of these problems, Lew, your thoughts?”

“The Krawiek blinding, the features are singular, abacination by holding a heated sword in front of the eyes, according to Bolek. Have you gentlemen met Bolek?” asked Mariola, who worked alongside her husband in the persona of Lew.

“The city torturer,” said Starski.

“He’s a fairly skilled physician as well,” said Mariola. “He made a note on the report, and his handwriting is excruciating enough to prove his ability as a physician.  Now as far as I am aware, it’s a method used historically by Ivan the Terrible, and it’s a bit esoteric. The tailor who was blinded is, of course, deprived of his livelihood, and reduced to penury. He had made a complaint which is also on the desk neglected that a group of men said that without a substarosta he should pay them to protect his shop and livelihood.  Now a couple of other people made complaints of a similar nature and there is a note in that idiot Marciński’s handwriting that the complaints were withdrawn. I’ve cross-correlated with calls for the fire brigades which went to those shops, right before the complaints were withdrawn. Now I’ve been in the office three hours looking over these reports for my lord; why the hell didn’t either of you notice that townsfolk were being terrorised on your watch? The tailor was also burned out and there’s a complaint here, with descriptions of those he suspects. Including a big Tatar.”

The two Ulans stared.

“I am not sure what you are saying, my lord-brother,” said Hulewicz.

“There are a group of people demanding money with menaces, including this big Tatar, who cause damage if not paid off, and when a man stands up for himself and threatens to identify them, his eyes are burned out by an esoteric and questionably Tatar method,” said Mariola.

“And you put all that together from a few reports?” said Starski. “I ... yes, now you go through it, I can see it. We’ve never done anything like that.”

“It’s no different to military intelligence,” said Mariola. “If you hear that a lot of grain is being sold on the Prussian border, and causing perhaps shortages because it’s going out of the country, and someone mentions that there’s increased trade between Austria’s foundries and Prussia, and you take a look at the garrison towns across the border and suddenly there are three times as many latrine huts, what do you do?”

“Prepare for invasion from Prussia,” said Starski. “I see what you mean. Your page is good, my lord.”

“Good; you’ll be working with him,” said Kazimierz. “And Hulewicz will be working with me. You are both subordinate; tough luck, Starski, my brat knows more than you.”

Starski’s face worked.

“I don’t mind working with the lad,” said Hulewicz.

“I dare say. We can swap later, but I want it this way round first,” said Kazimierz. He did not say that Starski was potentially brilliant, if erratic, and would add to his bride’s almost intuitive insights. Hulewicz was methodical, and they might check back facts together. Kazimierz had a feeling Starski would fly apart if checking figures.  Mariola would check figures without bothering to involve a volatile partner.

 

 

“Rumour has it that you’re a woman and married to the substarosta,” said Starski.

“Rumour says a lot of things. You’re under my command whether you want to think of me as a boy of fourteen or a girl of seventeen. If you can’t handle it, you need to go back to your captain and tell him you can’t hack it,” said Mariola, coolly.

“I can handle it; I’d find it easier taking orders from Lady Bystrzanowska though, than a child.”

“Fair enough.  I’m going to be a woman shortly anyway, because I’m going to be the wife of the new tailor.”

“Your husband is too well known.”

“You aren’t though; we’re going undercover. You’re Krawiek’s cousin and you and your wife are taking over the business.  I can sew well enough to cover working in the front. I don’t look enough like you to be your son or brother so wife it will have to be.”

“You don’t sound very happy about it.”

“It was my honeymoon too. And there’s a gang of thieves too, who are working the houses outside the city, digging through the lower courses of those houses built with stone lower courses. You two have ignored that too.”

“We did not, we set watch! Three nights running we watched one of the wealthier houses, and they went elsewhere!”

“I expect you were seen,” said Mariola. “I bet you rode out.”

“Well, yes; it was a couple of miles out of town. What were we supposed to do?”

“Leave the horses in an inn, perhaps, and use your dear little feet,” said Mariola.

“You’re truly offensive, er, Lew.”

“I have my bad points too.”

 

“Good tailor Krawiek, do you know my voice?  I’m the substarosta’s page.”

“Oh, yes, my lord, I am glad you are back on duty, even with Lord Bystrzanowski on honeymoon you’ll soon catch these crooks.”

“He’s left his honeymoon to help sort it out; we had not time to give Lord Starski and Lord Hulewicz enough training,” said Mariola, diplomatically. “But Lord Starski is keen to learn and to help out; he and I are going into disguise to pretend to be your nephew and your nephew’s wife. He’s dark like you so I think we can make it believable. You will need to gossip that we have come to take over the shop.”

“But ... I will have to sell the goods that weren’t burned, and leave the shop ... I may be able to live on the proceeds of the auction for a while ...”

“Oh, no, good Krawiek, you will be eligible for a reward from the government for helping to catch these crooks,” said Mariola.

“I d...” Starski started to speak and Mariola stood on his foot hard.

“We’ll come in by cart later today,” said Mariola, “as soon as we’ve dressed for the part.”

She nodded Starski to follow her.

“Why did you stand on my foot?”

“So you wouldn’t give away that there is no government reward, you big lump,” said Mariola.

“Won’t he feel betrayed if he goes through the risk without reward?”

“Well at least you are thinking of him. What makes you think he won’t be given a decent pension?”

“But ...”

“I’ll pay it out of my own pocket of course, you idiot. There ought to be government compensation for things like that, but there isn’t, so that means those of us who can afford to help should do so. Noblesse oblige and all that sort of thing.”

“Oh, right, I see,” said Starski.

 

Later that day an unremarkable pair drove into town in a donkey cart. Starski was sulking slightly because Mariola had not permitted him to drive, since both donkey and cart were government property.

“I suppose a donkey is suitable for a lady, a nice gentle drive,” said Starski.

“I race sleighs with three horses against towarzysze as well,” said Mariola. “But I’m a good driver and don’t argue with long-established city street furniture. I could out-drive you any day even if I’m not as interested in the Cossack horse tricks some of my sisters enjoy. I can mount or dismount a running horse and rope a man, and that’s about all I care about. But don’t even start with what’s suitable for a lady or I’ll let my sister, Joanna Sokołowska, loose on you. A lady’s hand is suitable for this poor donkey, my lad, and I’ll not have the poor thing run ragged. I’m going through the motions with you, but you won’t make the grade, you don’t have the patience and you won’t put in the effort to learn it.”

Starski, sore, swore silently that he would show her.

 

In the tailor’s shop, they waited, hoping not to have customers but just to have intimidation. When a big Tatar came in, Mariola smiled.

Starski moved forward.

“What can I help you with?” he said, with what he hoped was sufficient unctuousness.

“The old man doesn’t know how to give up, does he?” said the Tatar. “You must have enough money to keep the business going; we’ll take two talar a month to prevent any more accidents and a fine of fifty talar to cover the old man’s stupidity.”

“You must be insane, fellow,” said Starski. “Where am I to get fifty talar from?”

“You should have thought of that before you took on his business ... and his debts,” said the Tatar.

“Get out,” said Mariola, revealing a pistol. “I’m nervous around firearms, and this is liable to go off.”

“Tell your wife to stop with the heroics,” said the Tatar. “Or you’ll watch her being raped as a little persuasion to cough up.”

“I don’t see your army of winged hussars,” sneered Mariola.

“Come in, lads,” said the Tatar.

Five more men came in the back door.

“And what are your intentions?” said Mariola.

One of them sniggered.

“Two of us to hold and beat your man, the rest of us to rape you, wench.”

“Oh, fair enough,” said Mariola. “Go, Starski.”  She shot at the one reaching to grab her, and swung out her sabres, stepping between the miscreants and the door.

Starski neatly lopped the Tatar’s arm off.

The others hesitated. Blinding a man and depriving him of his livelihood was a capital crime, and they decided to leap Mariola all at once, which is what Mariola had hoped.

Her swords swung, singing merrily, and two heads fell, followed by two hands. Mariola was quick with tourniquets.

“St. Jósef, you are fast!” said Starski, putting a tourniquet on his prisoner.

“Yes, I am,” said Mariola.  “And I note no qualifier.”

“I misjudged you,” said Starski. “I will be more respectful, my...er...”

“Lord-brother will do,” said Mariola.

“How do we get them back, my lord-brother?”

“We call the constables, and have them clear up the blood as well.  I’ll stay on guard.”

“Er, yes,” said Starski, who knew enough to reckon that their prisoners ought to behave. He went to round up some constables.  He and Mariola supervised the collection of live and dead bodies, and the start of the cleaning up.  Mariola nodded to him.

“Now the unpleasant bit,” she said.

“Questioning them about any other accomplices?”

“No, worse than that,” said Mariola. “Writing a report.”