Leo and Brad quickly made their way to the western part of the city and soon found the street where Old Hank's carpenter shop was located. Just as they were about to ask for directions, Leo overheard two passersby talking. The moment Old Hank's name came up, his attention sharpened.
"Old Hank's workmanship has always been good, but I don't know what's gotten into him these past few days. The things he makes keep falling apart. This is already my second time coming back for repairs."
"That fire a few days ago frightened everyone half to death. You can't blame Old Hank too much."
Their conversation made Leo frown. After tying up the horses, he secured his mace and motioned for Brad to bring his cruciform sword.
Leo stood silently some distance from Old Hank's carpenter shop and watched it from afar. It was a perfectly ordinary carpenter shop, with nothing unusual about its appearance. Business seemed normal too, with people going in and coming out. But every time someone left, the shop shut its doors behind them. Most ordinary shops preferred to leave their doors wide open instead of acting as secretively as this one did.
After one customer left, Leo walked toward the shop. Brad saw the severity in Leo's expression and followed without saying a word. The door was closed, and Leo stopped outside to listen for a moment, but heard no footsteps.
He took a quiet step forward. Instead of pushing the door open, he put one eye to the narrow crack between the two doors and looked inside. Through the gap, Leo saw a small courtyard. Large amounts of raw timber were stacked along one side wall, and two apprentices were working the wood.
Opposite the gate stood a two-story wooden house. An old man sat hunched at its entrance, holding a ruler but doing no work. He too was looking toward the gate. The instant Leo appeared, the old man noticed that someone was watching him through the crack in the doors.
He could not see the expression of the person outside. All he could see was a single brown eye. The ruler in the old man's hand trembled for an instant.
Leo knew he had been discovered, but he made no further move. He simply remained there, staring at the old man through the door. Old Hank suddenly felt as though time had slowed.
He swallowed. After perhaps three or five seconds, Old Hank looked away, trying to pretend he had seen nothing. Leo remained motionless, still watching through the crack. Only when Old Hank could no longer resist looking toward the door again, then hurriedly avert his gaze once more, did Leo push it open.
The creak of the wooden latch turning jolted Old Hank, and he raised his head again. The first thing he saw was a cold, expressionless face. There was no emotion in the man's eyes either. He was like a male lion that had just spotted its prey, neither merciful nor cruel, as though everything about to happen was simply the natural order of things.
Next, Old Hank saw the mace hanging from the newcomer's wrist. Its silver head was larger than that of an ordinary mace, and its iron shaft was wrapped in nonslip leather. Finally, the blue-gray officer's uniform of the Unicorn Legion revealed the newcomer's identity.
The man did not immediately enter the courtyard. He stood in the doorway, examining everything inside. The thong of the mace hung from his wrist and swayed slightly. Another officer stood behind him. Judging from his face alone, the second officer looked noticeably gentler.
After finishing their inspection, the two entered the courtyard.
"Anyone uninvolved, leave first!"
There were still one or two customers in the courtyard. The moment they saw that the newcomers were officers of the Count, they hurried out. The courtyard gate was shut from the inside. Now only Leo, Brad, Old Hank, and the two carpenter's apprentices remained.
At that moment, the importance of status was laid bare. Leo and Brad were officers. Old Hank and his apprentices could only wait for the officers to decide their fate. The Unicorn Legion was the largest armed institution in Blackport City. A carpenter could not openly resist the Unicorn Legion.
Old Hank and his apprentices stood in the courtyard without saying a word. Leo still said nothing. After examining every wooden component in the courtyard, he passed the others and entered the house alone.
There was nothing unusual on the first floor, so Leo went upstairs. The thud of his military boots on the wooden staircase struck Old Hank's chest like blows. There was nothing unusual on the second floor either.
Leo appeared in the doorway of the wooden house and said, "Old Hank, why haven't you asked what we're here for?"
Brad slapped his forehead. "I knew something felt wrong. Old carpenter, why aren't you saying anything?"
The crisp smack of Brad's hand against his forehead completely destroyed the oppressive presence Leo had worked so hard to maintain. Leo, however, acted as though nothing had happened and continued staring at Old Hank.
Old Hank swallowed. "Sir, this is a carpenter shop. Everyone who comes here does so to order furniture, order farm tools, or have a wooden house built. If you need anything, I'm ready to follow your instructions."
Leo walked up to Old Hank and the two apprentices, took out a sheet of parchment, and said, "You three. Have you ever seen this kind of wooden handcart?"
All three craned their necks and leaned in for a look. Old Hank said, "That's a kind of wooden handcart we used to make. We don't make them anymore."
Leo asked, "Why not?"
"Black Harbor has been destroyed. There isn't as much demand for wooden handcarts anymore."
"Reasonable. Very reasonable." Leo said, "Then before the night of the Black Harbor fire, did any strange people come here to buy this kind of handcart?"
Old Hank shook his head. "No, sir. No."
Leo was not surprised. Old Hank was bound to deny it.
Leo picked up his mace and rested it on one carpenter apprentice's shoulder, hooking the apprentice's neck with the mace head. "Come. Go inside with me."
The cold mace head touched the apprentice's neck, making him shudder. He kept turning to look at Old Hank, but Old Hank gave him no response. The other apprentice also looked toward Old Hank, and again Old Hank gave no response.
The apprentice followed Leo into the house. "Close the door," Leo ordered.
At the order, the apprentice slowly pulled the door shut, looking back at Old Hank one last time. The door reluctantly closed tight, and the room went dark.
Leo faced the apprentice. "They hang criminals in Toronia Square every day. You know that, don't you?"
"I know... sir..."
"The officer outside and I can decide whether you and Old Hank are hanged, or the other apprentice and Old Hank are hanged."
"Sir, I don't know anything..."
Leo stared at him and swung the mace. The mace head went straight for the top of the apprentice's head, and the apprentice flinched in terror. But Leo merely rested the mace head lightly against his forehead.
The apprentice felt the officer in front of him release the force behind the swing. His forehead was now bearing the weight of a ten-pound iron mace.
Leo said, "Don't be nervous. I couldn't bear to smash your head open just yet.
"You need to have confidence in yourself. Believe that you can endure the torture that's coming.
"You should also have confidence in the other apprentice. Believe that he can endure the torture meant for him.
"If something unfortunate happens and the other apprentice tells me some secret that you refused to tell me, then tomorrow you and Old Hank will be hanged together.
"You'll get to enjoy thousands of people watching you, with a rope around your neck, feeling your throat tighten bit by bit, your breathing disappear bit by bit, and your neck slowly being crushed under the weight of your own body."
The apprentice trembled. "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
A while later, Leo emerged from the house with the apprentice, whose legs had gone weak. The apprentice's face was flushed. He kept his head down and did not dare look at anyone.
Leo hooked his mace around the other apprentice's neck. Crying seemed to come from inside the house. After a while, the second apprentice came out on unsteady legs.
Leo stood in front of Old Hank and stared at him. He spoke each word distinctly.
"You tell me, or I do..."
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