You mean to say every student blasphemed against His Imperial Majesty that night.
Absinthe
Maybe, other than the few who kept cool heads. The young can be hot-blooded, and become incited to speak with a voice that does not belong to them.
Arbiter
Or perhaps you are exaggerating in order to cover up for a few of their number.
Absinthe
I am only telling the truth. You're jumping to some shocking conclusions.
Arbiter
Let us go back to the previous statement. You explained why Baryshnya Rostova failed to notice His Imperial Majesty's absence. Do you know where he was?
Absinthe
I learned a few things through my police contacts, but they are vague and uncertain.
Arbiter
You know of his whereabouts?
Absinthe
I know he was in the palace, but not why he did not appear at the ball as scheduled.
Arbiter
No, you know.
Absinthe
I'm sorry?
Arbiter
My evidence indicates that the Deity Grypherburg Police Night's Watch was the first to learn of His Imperial Majesty's disappearance, which means that you, too, were in a position to know.
Arbiter
Answer, Young Zoya. Why are you hiding the truth about the attempt on the Emperor's life, and his subsequent disappearance during the protests in question?
Absinthe
Well...
Arbiter
If you knew, your friend, Sonya Mykhailivna, knew too.
Arbiter
Was the violence that she incited in the quarantine zone aimed at finishing what the assassin attempt began?
Absinthe
(Murmurs) So the Emperor went missing that night. That explains everything.
Arbiter
...What?
Absinthe
Natalya mentioned something in particular. Before the protests began, she was heading to where the chairman and vice chairman were, but her attention, like the others, was drawn to the light outside the window.
Absinthe
Both of them had left by the time she looked back.
If you don't want to appear at the hearing, I can go in your place, at least minimize the impact of the Emperor's disappearance by influencing the direction of the hearing.
Witte
There is no longer a need to hide, Vasha.
Witte
Virtually every major noble in Grypherburg has learned about His Imperial Majesty's 'act of whimsy'. No number of gag orders will wipe away the shock that the event has caused.
Witte
Right now, I don't give two hoots about the hearing or the public opinion. The only thing on my mind is His Majesty's safety. You must find out what happened that day, before we move to eliminate the issues that put the Emperor in danger.
Witte
It was more than just Grypherburg's guards that went out of control that day. It was a warning sign, and a lesson to learn from.
Vasily
Forgive my imprudence, Chairman Witte, but I understand that you had an argument with His Imperial Majesty prior to the ball, where he expressed his displeasure with the State Council's handling of the Katorga matter.
Vasily
If that is what you are referring to, people on the outside would not be surprised, for His Imperial Majesty is ever caring of all who walk upon this land, even if his kindness is often mistaken for weakness.
Witte
No, not that.
Witte
His Majesty was indeed in a bad mood, but he agreed to attend the ball, until I received a tip prior to the event—
Witte
Someone was attempting to place an Originium bomb in the ballroom. He was caught by a maintenance worker.
Vasily
Attempting to assassinate His Imperial Majesty?
Witte
It is not so simple. I thought the same as you did, so I followed emergency protocols and instructed the Royal Guard to go to His Majesty's chambers and escort him through the underground tunnel, while I interrogated the assassin personally.
Witte
He claimed he was here to assassinate Baron Kamshalov, at the behest of the baroness.
Vasily
It would be a captivating family drama, if circumstances were different...
Witte
As the interrogation continued, however, he mentioned something even more unsettling—
Damn... come on, Geil, keep it together, you can do it...
Crouched on the floor, he wipes the sweat from his eyes, while haphazard parts are scattered across the red carpet.
A round 'alarm clock', three sticks of explosives bundled together like sausages, and numerous wires. A simple bomb that even a novice could assemble by following the instructions.
But the sweat has soaked through the paper he is holding, blurring the writing to illegibility.
Nervous Assassin
Okay, I can still read this... connect the blue wire, then the green one, then a funt of... a funt of...
Nervous Assassin
A funt of canned stew?
Nervous Assassin
Blyat! Ivan! The baroness paid so much, and you're passing off a recipe as bombmaking instructions?!
Nervous Assassin
......
Nervous Assassin
Alright, calm down, it's up to me now... maybe this green one goes into this connector.
???
Wrong, the green one goes below the blue one.
Nervous Assassin
Let's give that a try...
Nervous Assassin
It worked! Thank you, kind-hearted—
Nervous Assassin
Who the khuy are you?
Relaxed Assassin
(Hushed) Calm down and don't yell! Do you want to bring the whole police force down on our heads?
Relaxed Assassin
I had to stop you. If you really put that wire in, we'd have one more, no, two more 'canned stews' here in this room.
Relaxed Assassin
Don't worry, we're fellow travelers, I'm not gonna sell you out.
Nervous Assassin
We're what?
Nervous Assassin
Are you in a noblewoman's pocket too?
Relaxed Assassin
What are you talking about? We're both assassins, aren't we?
Nervous Assassin
Sorry, I... it's my first time. I'm not really familiar with this stuff.
Relaxed Assassin
Hey, everybody's gotta start somewhere. Who's your debut job? Is it a big one?
Nervous Assassin
I don't know if he's big or not. All I know is that he's a baron with a casino.
Relaxed Assassin
Well, that's not a bad one to pop your cherry. You'll get jobs for bigger fins with some practice under your belt.
Nervous Assassin
What about you?
Relaxed Assassin
Heh, cover your mouth first. Don't want you freaking out and drawing unwanted attention.
Relaxed Assassin
(Hushed) I'm here to kill Duchess Volkina.
Nervous Assassin
......
Nervous Assassin
Who's that?
Relaxed Assassin
...What?
Relaxed Assassin
You don't know her?!
Nervous Assassin
Quiet, quiet—
Relaxed Assassin
She's one of the few hereditary dukes in Ursus, a thorn in the side of the old guard nobility, and blood relative to the Emperor himself!
Nervous Assassin
Okay, okay, don't shout, I'm sorry...
Relaxed Assassin
My employer searched across all of Ursus for an assassin who could take the job, and I was the only one who would do it! How could you—
Nervous Assassin
...?
Nervous Assassin
...You—
???
Shh—
Nervous Assassin
...Shh?
The surprise visitor shakes his head and gestures to the table on the other side. The nervous assassin hesitates, then walks over slowly.
???
Give it to me.
Nervous Assassin
You want this bread?
The man shakes his head.
Nervous Assassin
Don't tell me you want the table knife?
The man nods.
Relaxed Assassin
Wait, tell us what you're gonna do with it first. Giving a knife to a stranger is not exactly becoming of a professional assassin.
???
Give it to me, and I'll tell you.
The nervous assassin dares not approach. He tosses the knife to the man, who picks it up silently, then makes a sign with two fingers.
Relaxed Assassin
Go out the door, go through the kitchen, climb the ladder to the roof, and get into the room on the west side via the sunroof.
???
Shh—
Relaxed Assassin
...Shh.
The edge of the visitor's mouth twitches. He nods and departs, leaving behind the two stunned assassins.
Nervous Assassin
What were you talking about? I didn't understand a word.
So you mean palace security allowed all these myriad assassins into the ballroom, and it took a maintenance worker to discover them.
Vasily
How many more surprises do the Grypherburg's guards have in store for us?
Witte
The capital-wide power outage happened soon after.
Witte
While not entirely unexpected, given the recent energy shortage, it coincided with the matter of the assassins, which led to an overreaction.
Witte
That is why, after we left the scene of the ball, I instructed you to head to police headquarters and search for suspicious persons amongst the protestors.
Witte
You saw their crude, ineffective methods.
Witte
It's a good thing that your daughter is hardworking and motivated. If she was unambitious and went into the Guard by pulling strings, you would be the one with the constant headaches.
Vasily
I am glad for Eloysius that you are willing to mentor her. Our entire family is very proud.
Vasily
But how could these absurdly incompetent assassins have affected His Imperial Majesty?
Witte
Do you remember who I sent to find him, according to emergency procedures?
Vasily
The Royal Guard?
Vasily
That's what I don't understand. Why would the Emperor need to flee, if he was protected by the Royal Guard?
Witte
......
Witte
(Hushed) Because the loyalty of the Royal Guard is to Ursus, not the Emperor.
The air itself seems thinner in the tightly packed formation of students, but they make room for their leader, Olga, giving a small but isolated space.
Olga
Fellow students! Unite and bring down the establishment!
The young noble lady stands proudly upon a battered oak casket, a faded family emblem faintly visible upon it.
Her shouting is drowned out by even more radical chants, but she squints as if to take in this Grypherburg night that belongs to them, until someone makes it to her side.
Zima
Time to put this to bed, Olga!
Olga
Sonya?
Zima
No marching, not even unified slogans... I see booze in the crowd. This is too risky.
Olga
Don't pour cold water when morale is at its highest—
Zima
Listen to me! These streets are lined with noble townhouses. Look how narrow the path is, it'd make any retreat really bad.
Zima
More than that, I haven't seen a single cop.
Zima
There's more to this than we know. Let's march south, shout our chants that way. It'll be easier to respond to any surprises.
Olga
I know what you're trying to say, but all this is normal. Faddey already explained that police operations are disrupted during the Winter Ball due to the personnel changes.
Olga
Besides, given our background, activism for our friends' rights, within reason, is seen as a sort of youthful experience, not rebellion.
Olga
Set your heart at ease and stand with us, Sonya.
Zima
Right... given your background.
Zima
If you're gonna be stubborn about this, I'll have to take the SSG and go.
Olga
This is not like you, Sonya. I thought you would be the bravest and firmest at a time like this.
Olga
We have caught their attention and left an impression. All that is left is to negotiate for Rania's release, and enjoy the fruits of victory.
Zima
If victory is so close, you can enjoy it yourself! No need to save any for me.
No sooner has she said these words than the ballroom's lights turn off, plunging the scene into darkness. Several screams can be heard from inside, then hushed conversations and sobbing.
The students fall silent, looking at each other in bewilderment. This is the quietest moment of this Grypherburg evening.
Olga
Did your group do this, Sonya?
Zima
No, we didn't do anyth—
Olga
Beautifully done!
Olga
I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said before. The Self-Government Group has done a great service to our protest!
She pats Zima's shoulder excitedly. Zima hears a soft, indistinct sound coming from the end of the street, so quiet that it is almost drowned out by Olga's patting.
Zima
...Look out!
She pulls Olga and runs. A few black cans fall to the ground, leaving light tracks on the snow, before emanating a white smoke.
The nearest student screams, his voice rasping, before it is interrupted by violent coughing as sulfuric smoke attacks his eyes, nose and mouth like tiny gravel.
Then another, and another, as more students find their sight and breath stolen, screaming and twitching as they clutch at their faces. The others cry out in terror and disperse.
Many have fallen to the ground, calling for their friends in vain. They press their faces to the stone and hear the sound of approaching footsteps.
???
Tear gas deployed! Take the injured, leave the rest!
The late-arriving guardsmen raise their flashlights, casting powerful beams of light upon the young, frightened faces of the students.
The students that can still move run to the end of the street, crying and screaming, half-stumbling and half-crawling, their clothes soiled with muddy snow, footsteps, even blood.
Leto
General! We're here!
Zima
Let's go! It's a mess back there!
Zima
Wait, where's Gummy?
Istina
She went to look for you! Didn't you see her?
Zima
......
Zima
Blyat!
Zima turns and charges into the chaotic crowd without a second thought, ignoring the calls of Istina and Leto behind her.
It takes some time for her to get back to where Olga was, a scene of bedlam with guardsmen clubbing the remaining resisters with nightsticks.
Gummy is standing in front of Zima, slowly walking to a policeman, staring at his stick-wielding hand.
Gummy
Why is Papa's watch here...?
Gummy
What did you do to him?!
Ursine Police
—Freeze! Get on your knees!
A nightstick swings for Gummy. She dodges instinctively and sees the man before her tackled to the ground by a black shadow, causing a slushy splash.
Gummy
Zima?!
Zima
Run!
Ursine Police
Guardsman down! I need backup!
A dozen guardsmen rush in from every direction, grabbing Zima's shoulders and trying to separate her from their colleague on the ground, but she does not budge in the slightest. They begin striking her in the back with their nightsticks.
Some here may find it hard to accept, but Sonya should be considered a victim in this incident, regardless of which angle you take.
Arbiter
The parliamentarian has noted the witness's account, which will be used in conjunction with the statement Zoya previously submitted to compile an official report.
Arbiter
Any further questions for the witness?
Hearing Committee Member
Your Honor, Young Zoya, perhaps some of us have misunderstood the purpose of the hearing.
Hearing Committee Member
The reason that many have called for the student groups' actions to recognized as treason is not the protest alone, but also their disruptive behavior in the quarantine zone.
Hearing Committee Member
Of foremost concern to us is this: Where was His Imperial Majesty Fyodor in the course of these events?
Hearing Committee Member
There have been various rumors running through the people, some claiming that His Majesty mobilized the students against the nobility.
Hearing Committee Member
I am therefore quite curious; for example, on the night of the protests, why did His Imperial Majesty—
Arbiter
Forgive the interruption, Count Troyan.
Arbiter
I must emphasize that the Chairman will not be present today, in order to reduce the pressure on the committee, nor has he made any implicit suggestion.
Arbiter
The reason I questioned the witness concerning His Imperial Majesty's whereabouts was only to understand the relationship between the attempted assassination, the Emperor's subsequent disappearance, and the actions of the student leader Sonya Mykhailivna.
Arbiter
If the committee still has doubts, we can clarify them here and now.
Arbiter
Please answer, Young Zoya.
Arbiter
Do you think Sonya Mykhailivna's actions during the protest had anything to do with the assassination attempt on His Imperial Majesty or his disappearance?
