Ana and Din Mysteries, #3
A Trade of Blood
by Robert Jackson Bennett
Contents
Chapter 7
Overview
Ana, Din, and Seriv relocate to the Green Drover and commit to secrecy about a human-infecting guiding web. Fearing hidden victims triggered by inaudible pipes, Ana rejects local medikkers and orders the Orbiis to autopsy Zansay. She directs Din to secure an audience with Velona Armenta via Trikao to probe the family’s suspicious deaths.
Summary
Din, Ana, and Seriv move to the Green Drover, a prestigious cattle-themed inn. Din arranges Ana’s chambers while Ana, unusually quiet, prepares to brief them. She demands absolute secrecy, then outlines urgent unknowns about the guiding web’s human infection and how Zansay and Castus were dosed and triggered.
They consider cat-conditioning methods but recognize the human strain is different and dangerously subtle. Ana warns that once the killer realizes they understand the method, inaudible pipe tunes could trigger hidden victims into fatal “accidents,” potentially including Seriv. The group resolves to advance quietly and avoid alerting suspects.
Unable to trust local authorities or gentry-aligned medikkers, Ana decides to involve the Orbiis, agricultural experts who despise neuro-fungi. She intends to keep Zansay’s body and orders a clandestine autopsy by the Orbiis to study the fungus. Seriv agrees to locate Orbiis patrols by midday and to stall Burilis Burav, blaming Ana while avoiding written communication.
Attention shifts to the Armenta deaths: two suicides and one accident previously deemed noncriminal. Seriv explains Velona Armenta, the clan head, personally investigated them for signs of divine punishment, collecting testimonies in fervent faith. This makes her a flawed yet vital source of information on patterns or anomalies.
They discuss family dynamics: Trikao Armenta, Velona’s elder brother, lost leadership by an old herding competition custom but remains devoted and practical. Ana instructs Din to use Trikao to arrange a meeting with Velona at Aimafall. Meanwhile, Seriv will quietly assemble the Orbiis to examine Zansay, advancing both lines of inquiry under strict secrecy.
Who Appears
- AnaBlindfolded Imperial superior; demands secrecy, fears widespread conditioning, orders Orbiis autopsy for Zansay, and directs outreach to Velona Armenta.
- DinImperial engraver and narrator; arranges Ana’s rooms, assists discussions, and is tasked to secure Velona Armenta via Trikao.
- SerivPrinceps; worries he could be infected, agrees to secretly find the Orbiis and stall Burilis regarding Zansay’s body.
- Velona ArmentaArmenta matriarch; devout and grieving, privately investigated her children’s deaths for divine causes; target for a crucial interview.
- Trikao ArmentaVelona’s elder brother; dutiful, pragmatic, lost leadership by tradition; potential ally to arrange access to Velona.
- Burilis BuravBurav patriarch; expects Zansay’s body returned; Seriv will stall him as Ana retains the corpse for autopsy.
- Zansay BuravMurdered gentry daughter; body retained for a secret Orbiis autopsy to study the human-infecting guiding web.