Scorpion by India Millar

Author:India Millar [Millar, India]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Empress Publishing
Published: 2020-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

Eighteen

When you think of me,

Do your thoughts mean nothing more

Than foam on the shore?

I stared down at Akio’s sad corpse and made my face sag with horror. To make sure nobody could be in any doubt about my sincere distress, I bunched my fists and crammed them in my mouth, as if I was choking back sobs. In death, he was nothing but a bundle of clothes, helpless and sad. I searched my heart to find any regret, but there was none. My pretended regret was as nothing to the row Mio made. Her shrieks made my head ache.

“Look!” she shouted. “Look! His own dagger killed him.” We all stared at the almost miniature dagger, still sticking out of his body. “Oh, my poor, brave Akio! He must have come across somebody trying to rob the house and died defending it! It’s all our fault. If we hadn’t been away enjoying ourselves, this would never have happened!”

I blinked, trying to reconcile this version of events with what I had planned. I heard a murmur of unease passing through the other servants. Suddenly, their sorrow at Akio’s death had turned into fear. I was puzzled at first, and then picked up on one of the groom’s whispered words.

“The master will blame us for this. Akio was his favorite. He will want to know what we were doing, to leave Akio here alone. He might even think we were in with whoever killed him.”

His words froze the rest of the servants into silence. Only Mio continued to wail as she rocked back and forth over Akio’s body.

“You’re right,” the cook said, a fat man who obviously enjoyed his own cooking. I had never seen him look anything but sleepy and content. Now, his chubby face was set in lines of concern. “The master will suspect us. He will have us all whipped. He might even execute some of us to teach the others a lesson. What can we do?”

I looked from one to the other, seeing the same fear reflected in each face. I knew they were right. I should have thought of this. I spoke quickly, trying to soothe their panic.

“You must blame Akio,” I said firmly. Every head turned to look at me suspiciously, and I spoke quickly. “Tell the master that Akio insisted you all take the day for yourselves. That he said you should take some food and go and enjoy the fresh air while he stayed in the house. I will say that I heard him give those orders to you if the master asks me.

“That way, it will seem that Akio was expecting somebody and that he wanted to be alone when they came. It does not reflect well on Akio’s spirit, but he is dead and it cannot matter to him.” I felt relief run through the servants. Only Mio continued to moan. I nodded at her and looked meaningfully at the cook, who I assumed would now be the senior member of staff. “I understand that Mio is grieving for her man.

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