Her eyes were soft with pity. ‘We think so. They took her away this morning and she has been incommunicado ever since.’
‘Has any charge been filed?’ asked Zeb.
‘Not publicly.’
‘Hm-m-m-That looks bad.’
‘And good as well,’ Master Peter disagreed. ‘If it is the matter we think it is-Fassett, I mean-and had they had any evidence pointing to the rest of you, all four of you would have been arrested at once. At least, that is in accordance with their methods.’
‘But what can we do?’ I demanded.
Van Eyck did not answer. Magdelene said soothingly, ‘There is nothing for you to do, John. You couldn’t get within several guarded doors of her.’
‘But we can’t just do nothing!’
The lodge Master said, ‘Easy, son. Maggie is the only one of us with access to that part of the inner Palace. We must leave it in her hands.’
I turned again to her; she sighed and said, ‘Yes, but there is probably little I can do.’ Then she left.
We waited. Zeb suggested that he and I should leave the lodge room and continue with being seen in our usual haunts; to my relief van Eyck vetoed it. ‘No. We can’t be sure that Sister Judith’s hypnotic protection is enough to see her through the ordeal. Fortunately you two and Sister Magdalene are the only ones she can jeopardize-but I want you here, safe, until Magdalene finds out what she can. Or fails to return,’ he added thoughtfully.
I blurted out, ‘Oh, Judith will never betray us!’
He shook his head sadly. ‘Son, anyone will betray anything under the Question-unless adequately guarded by hypno compulsion. We’ll see.’
I had paid no attention to Zeb, being busy with my own very self-centred thoughts. He now surprised me by saying angrily, ‘Master, you are keeping us here like pet hens-but you have just sent Maggie back to stick her head in a trap. Suppose Judith has cracked? They’ll grab Maggie at once.’
Van Eyck nodded. ‘Of course. That is the chance we must take since she is the only spy we have. But don’t you worry about her. They’ll never arrest her-she’ll suicide first.’
The statement did not shock me; I was too numbed by the danger to Judith. But Zeb burst out with, ‘The swine! Master, you shouldn’t have sent her.’
Van Eyck answered mildly, ‘Discipline, son. Control yourself. This is war and she is a soldier.’ He turned away.
So we waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. It is hard to tell anyone who has not lived in the shadow of the Inquisition how we felt about it. We knew no details but we sometimes saw those unlucky enough to live through it. Even if the inquisitors did not require the auto da fé, the mind of the victim was usually damaged, often shattered.
Presently Master Peter mercifully ordered the Junior Warden to examine both of us as to our progress in memorizing ritual. Zeb and I sullenly did as we were told and were forced with relentless kindness to concentrate on the intricate rhetoric. Somehow nearly two hours passed.
At last came three raps at the door and the Tyler admitted Magdalene. I jumped out of my chair and rushed to her. ‘Well?’ I demanded. ‘Well?’
‘Peace, John,’ she answered wearily. ‘I’ve seen her.’
‘How is she? Is she all right?’
‘Better than we have any right to expect. Her mind is still intact and she hasn’t betrayed us, apparently. As for the rest, she may keep a scar or two-but she’s young and healthy; she’ll recover.’
I started to demand more facts but the Master cut me off. Then they’ve already put her to the Question. In that case, how did you get in to see her?’
‘Oh, that!’ Magdalene shrugged it off as something hardly worth mentioning. ‘The inquisitor prosecuting her case proved to be an old acquaintance of mine; we arranged an exchange of favors.’
Zeb started to interrupt; the Master snapped, ‘Quiet!’ then added sharply, ‘The Grand Inquisitor isn’t handling it himself? In that case I take it they don’t suspect that it could be a Cabal matter?’
Maggie frowned. ‘I don’t know. Apparently Judith fainted rather early in the proceedings; they may not have had time to dig into that possibility. In any case I begged a respite for her until tomorrow. The excuse is to let her recover strength for more questioning, of course. They will start in on her again early tomorrow morning.’