21.Jun.13, 05:10 PM
S'kef's surprise -- evidenced by the immediate amount of attention the paperwork garnered -- was genuine, but whether that surprise was inspired by the information the document contained or by the fact that it hadn't yet been destroyed, C'vir wasn't certain. Ignorant as the Weyrleader may have been of the sweep record, he was unmistakably eager to his hands on it; his sudden desire to retrieve it betrayed its value. The brownrider took a few hasty steps backwards as S'kef, keeping his feet beneath him and his find just out of the other man's grasp. He clutched the paper tighter, his uneasiness with the encounter manifesting itself in his fingers. He was starting to suspect that his discovery wasn't as innocuous as he'd assumed.
What in Faranth's name am I supposed to do with this? The question repeated itself in his mind, answers branching off along all manners of possibilities. The document brought every minor doubt he'd harbored about S'kef, every sordid rumor he'd heard over the past months, into stark relief. C'vir's limited experience with the man had prevented him from forming an opinion based on anything other than his official actions and public persona, both of which yielded cause for concern as frequently as for commendation. If this afternoon's encounter was any indication, the more outspoken Katilans had perhaps been correct in voicing their reservations about the new Weyrleader's appointment.
C'vir met the Weyrleader's gaze evenly as the man replied, anxiety over provoking the man's anger temporarily forgotten. He shook his head, unsatisfied with S'kef's vague response but more concerned with the implications inherent in the information he'd just read. "I think the original investigators of the incident should see this. It's too late for T'shiro," he said with a frown, preferring, for the moment, not to recall the execution or the moments of whispered exchange between S'kef and the condemned but composed bronzerider. "But it's not too late to give him a public pardon, to find whoever is actually responsible." He inhaled, uncomfortable with the knowledge that what he asked could be construed as a threat. The Weyr had the right to know the truth; T'shiro deserved better than to needlessly lose his honor along with his life. "If you're hesitant to revoke the judgment, why not publish this whole thing publicly?" The hand holding the papers twitched. "Let the people draw their own conclusions."
What in Faranth's name am I supposed to do with this? The question repeated itself in his mind, answers branching off along all manners of possibilities. The document brought every minor doubt he'd harbored about S'kef, every sordid rumor he'd heard over the past months, into stark relief. C'vir's limited experience with the man had prevented him from forming an opinion based on anything other than his official actions and public persona, both of which yielded cause for concern as frequently as for commendation. If this afternoon's encounter was any indication, the more outspoken Katilans had perhaps been correct in voicing their reservations about the new Weyrleader's appointment.
C'vir met the Weyrleader's gaze evenly as the man replied, anxiety over provoking the man's anger temporarily forgotten. He shook his head, unsatisfied with S'kef's vague response but more concerned with the implications inherent in the information he'd just read. "I think the original investigators of the incident should see this. It's too late for T'shiro," he said with a frown, preferring, for the moment, not to recall the execution or the moments of whispered exchange between S'kef and the condemned but composed bronzerider. "But it's not too late to give him a public pardon, to find whoever is actually responsible." He inhaled, uncomfortable with the knowledge that what he asked could be construed as a threat. The Weyr had the right to know the truth; T'shiro deserved better than to needlessly lose his honor along with his life. "If you're hesitant to revoke the judgment, why not publish this whole thing publicly?" The hand holding the papers twitched. "Let the people draw their own conclusions."