Chapter Thirty-Nine

RABBIT LOOKED UP from her papers when Swan entered the council chamber wearing her feathered mask.

“Am I early?”

“Not at all,” Rabbit said. “I wanted a chance to speak to you before everyone else arrived. Whatever am I supposed to do with you?”

Swan dropped into her seat and pulled her teal coat closed. “I can’t think what you mean.”

Rabbit removed her mask and set it on the table. She fixed Swan with a stare. “You conspired with the Sentinels to take over the duties of the Watch with an eye towards ousting me. Don’t try to deny it. I’ve seen such a change in you, this past year. Before, you were a timid, dull little creature on the outskirts of every social gathering. Banking on the Chase family name to get you through life. Since you became Swan, you’ve become more assured of yourself but more ruthless in your dealings with others. It’s no way to live.”

“Since when has ambition been a failing?” Swan toyed with the sleeves of her coat, avoiding Rabbit’s gaze. “You’re taking this much too personally, my darling. It’s just politics.”

Rabbit slammed her fist on the table. “It’s just the bodies lying in our streets. It’s just the homes and businesses left in smouldering ruins. It’s just the livelihoods of the people who trusted us to take care of them.”

“You cannot blame me for—”

“Had you been Rabbit instead of me, this town would still be on fire. You are not capable of performing my role, Dorothea, because when you look out of the window you don’t see a town; you see a resource. You don’t see people; you see workers.

“I have my shortcomings. I have had my lapses in judgement, but I have always tried to put the people of this town, of this island, first. You have been on the council for less than a year, and you thought you could just sweep me aside and take over. That is not ambition; that is hubris. I would be well within my rights to call for a vote on your dismissal from your post. However, despite your lack of compassion, you have performed well in your role. It would be a shame to waste your talents. But please, my dear Swan, don’t try to run before you can walk.”

RABBIT ADDRESSED THE assembled members in the domed council chamber. “I’d like to keep this short, everyone. We all have business to take care of, I’m sure. Mr Knight asked to come and speak to us today.”

Vince nodded before speaking. “Came to ask you to formally reinstate the Watch.”

“I think we’ve all taken that as read,” Rabbit said. “Who do you recommend to succeed you as Watch Commander?”

Vince cleared his throat. “Thought I might stay. For a while. New, all this. Needs to be watched. So to speak. Guided. Was planning to form my own Watch if you lot didn’t revive the old one, anyway.”

Rabbit turned to each of the council in turn. “After your help in quelling the Gunbrides uprising, allowing you to remain in your role is the least we can do.”

Badger raised his eyebrows. “Especially considering Captain Godgrave’s failure.”

“James didn’t fail,” Vince said. “Faced something outside his experience. Outside anyone’s experience.”

“You’re being generous,” Swan said. “You adapted to the situation. Captain Godgrave did not. More than half of his Sentinels were killed. Two are still being treated for their injuries. Dozens of townspeople are dead. It will take months to repair the damage caused by the siege engine. If you had not been here, I shudder to think what might have happened.”

“Had I not been here to begin with none of it would have happened.”

“A fact we all have to accept,” Fox said. “You’ve made a good start on making up for past mistakes. You’ve shown your commitment to this town. It would be churlish to stand in your way any further.”

“What of the Pennymen?” Rabbit asked. “With Fortitude Littletar dead, what becomes of them?”

Vince sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Rudderless now. Will make them the same offer I made the Clockbreakers: gaolhouse or Watch. Watch needs to operate in daytime. Assume it won’t be an issue?”

Rabbit flicked over a page of the report. “The council charged you with breaking the gangs in any manner you saw fit.”

“One dangling thread,” Vince said. “Quaintance.”

“Mr Quaintance has left the island,” Fox said, folding her fingers. “I’m asking you to leave him in peace. He has been effectively exiled from his home, from his friends. I hope you will agree that’s punishment enough?”

Vince sat forward, resting one forearm on the table. “People will say he should be tried for crimes. Chasing after him risks more lives. Not easy to say, but he’s best forgotten.” He raised a meaty finger and pointed at her. “Long as he never returns. Under any circumstances.”

Fox splayed her hands wide and smiled. “You have my word. We had been friends for years, yet he lied to me. I had no idea what kind of man he really was. I hope to never lay eyes on him again.”

Vince grunted and nodded. Her word was plenty for him. Blackrabbit had a difficult road ahead. The people were going to have to accept a pack of former criminals were now responsible for upholding its laws. Compromises were going to have to be made on all sides.

“Magpie and I have spoken with Mrs Damerell and other representatives from Gull’s Reach,” Rabbit said. “We have agreed to invest a significant amount of money in the area over the next five years. We’ve seen where neglect leads.”

“I understand you’ve recommended the surviving Gunbrides be sent to the asylum?” Badger asked. “Whatever for? They ought to be locked up!”

Vince licked his lips and took a moment to compose himself. “Lot of those Gunbrides were young. Impressionable. Took everything Lambshead said to heart. Turned their minds around. Stopped them from seeing clearly. Youngest was a girl named Hookway. Injured in Littletar’s Emporium but survived. Doesn’t deserve to have her whole life ruined because of him. Because of me. None of them do.

“Asylum doctors can’t help them, then send them to the gaolhouse. But give them a chance to get better first. Need to pay for their crimes, true. Can do that best by serving on the Watch.”

“It certainly seems to have worked for you,” Fox said.

A murmur of approval rumbled around the table.

“Kind,” Vince said. “But let’s not fool ourselves. Nothing I do will ever wipe my slate clean. Not really. Some people will always hate me. Distrust me. Nothing I can do about it. Don’t care, anyway. Doing this so I can sleep better at night.”

“I, for one, hope it’s working,” Fox said. “You have a lot of work ahead of you. You’ll need to be well-rested to keep your Watch under control.”

“Watch can’t function only at night any longer,” Vince said. “Sentinels started something by working during the day. Showed the need for it.”

“So long as you operate with a lighter touch than Captain Godgrave, I don’t imagine it will be an issue.”

“Don’t intend to intrude on people’s day-to-day lives,” Vince said. “No more guarding alehouses. Won’t be tax-checkers neither. But the Watch’ll be there if people need help. Have another proposal.” He cleared his throat, aware that what he was about to ask for would seem beyond the pale. “Want to make it illegal for anyone to carry a firearm on the island of Blackrabbit. Punishable by a fine and imprisonment.”

The council fell silent. Rabbit lay her chin on templed fingers.

“All saw the damage caused in recent days,” Vince said. “No need for it. Let the greencoats keep their weapons on their ships. But nowhere else on the island. All saw what the siege engine could do. Next weapon that gets built might be worse. Smaller. Easier to move around. Seen those pepper-box muskets the Gunbrides used? Eight barrels. Eight lives on the line each time they’re used. Could add another barrel to them. Another ten barrels. Faster reloading. More powerful powder. After that, who knows? People are only good at one thing—finding new ways to hurt one another. Have a chance to hinder that. Here. Today.”

“And what happens the next time the island is besieged?” Badger asked. “Will you wave pointy sticks at the aggressors?”

“Won’t be any weapons on the island for them to use,” Vince said. “Foreign invaders have to get past the greencoats first. Might not be any use on land but unrivalled at sea.”

“It might be a difficult thing to sell to the public,” Fox said.

Swan had been unusually quiet throughout the meeting. “After everything that’s happened, the people will be glad to see guns kept off our streets,” she said. “I can promise you as much.”

Rabbit laughed and sat back in her chair. “You walked into the Watch House a little over two weeks ago, Mr Knight. Two weeks is all it took for you to overhaul the Watch, begin a new approach to law and order on the island, and clear out the gangs from Port Knot. Imagine what you can do in two months. In two years.”

“Better get started,” Vince said.