"It just doesn't make any sense."
Marcos lifted his mug and drained the remaining contents. He gestured to the barkeep for another drink as Pedro scratched his head in frustration.
"I mean, why come all the way to Granada? What possible reason could he have to coming all the way here just to kill a young prostitute in a gruesome manner."
The Inquisidor was silent for a moment.
"Perhaps reading the bishop's collected statements would help?"
"We read them again yesterday, remember? Despite his eagerness, the bishop is not that bright. Luckily, your authority as Inquisidor helped keep things running smooth."
Marcos knew that he was right. The bishop was a pious man, educated well, but he lacked any real innate reasoning. The bishop's prayers would be well appreciated, but his administrative skills were frustrating.
"Alright, Pedro, let's start at the beginning, shall we? Let's walk through it one more time."
"Fine."
"A number of years ago, a ritual murder occurred."
"Ten years ago."
"Right. The murderer was found, tried, and executed. No more killings happened."
"Right."
"Then we get a request from an old lady who thinks her pigs are possessed. Turns out a symbol of a pagan cult is branded on her pigs."
"Fertility cult, right?"
"A cult of Isis, so most likely fertility. But then, this so-called fertility cult ritually murderers this old woman."
"After you ordered her pigs destroyed."
"Yes, you're right. I must remember that. We investigate, and find that there has been a plain-old normal murder of the Braganza family by poison, and that their uncle is missing. Also, the strongbox from the local tavern was robbed. We have assumed the two are linked..."
"But we don't know that for certain."
"Quite correct. Still, I think it is a reasonable conclusion to draw. Then, we find no traces of the criminal until we get news from Granada. That, and my vision from the Lord, seem to indicate that he is here."
"Right. But no one has any signs of the man we're looking for. Only a dead prostitute, ritually murdered in a similar way as the old woman."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Pedro, what did the bishop's documents say about the prostitute?"
"According to her church records, she was probably twenty years old. She was baptised as a young girl... Oh, it mentioned that she did attend confession regularly. And she even gave regular donations to her local church. Apparently, she made quite a bit of money."
"They accepted her money?"
"As poor as this place is, I imagine the priests need all the money they can get, just to help the poor and keep the church buildings in good order."
Marcos frowned in disapproval, but said nothing for a few moments.
“You are right, though. It still doesn’t make any sense, Pedro. Why Granada?”
“Well, it doesn’t make any occult sense. It does make criminal sense. Remember what you said about the lack of people. Anyone could disappear around here.”
“True. But why commit ritual murders here? And why women? If it’s a fertility cult, then killing women would seem counter-intuitive.”
“Don’t forget the public nature of the murders.”
“Right. The corpses are meant to be found.”
“Did the bishop’s records say anything else about the prostitute that I am forgetting?”
“Well, she was a Moor. Her family refuses to acknowledge her. I think she was an only child.”
The Inquisidor lifted his mug and drained its contents again.
“We just don’t know enough. We need more information.”
“And where are we going to get it?”
“Well, tonight I will ask the Holy Spirit for His assistance.”
“And tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow we request a formal audience with the Duque de Granada.”
“Why would we do that?”
“Because the duque likely has much better records regarding secular matters than the bishop. He also should have a respectable library, which I will want to make use of.”
Pedro cocked his eyebrow.
“I don’t think the murderer will be at the library.”
“Of course not. But no one just magically thinks up the exact same symbol of the cult of Isis by themselves, becomes a murderer, and just happens to come to Granada. No, there must be a paper trail of some type that we can follow. At the very least we will rule out some things.”
“Suit yourself. I hate libraries, though.”
The Inquisidor glanced quizzically at the familiar.
“Why?”
“Because they never let me take the books home.”
The Inquisidor was about to explain why, but he caught Pedro’s smile.
It would be a long, boring, but busy, day tomorrow.
Marcos lifted his mug and drained the remaining contents. He gestured to the barkeep for another drink as Pedro scratched his head in frustration.
"I mean, why come all the way to Granada? What possible reason could he have to coming all the way here just to kill a young prostitute in a gruesome manner."
The Inquisidor was silent for a moment.
"Perhaps reading the bishop's collected statements would help?"
"We read them again yesterday, remember? Despite his eagerness, the bishop is not that bright. Luckily, your authority as Inquisidor helped keep things running smooth."
Marcos knew that he was right. The bishop was a pious man, educated well, but he lacked any real innate reasoning. The bishop's prayers would be well appreciated, but his administrative skills were frustrating.
"Alright, Pedro, let's start at the beginning, shall we? Let's walk through it one more time."
"Fine."
"A number of years ago, a ritual murder occurred."
"Ten years ago."
"Right. The murderer was found, tried, and executed. No more killings happened."
"Right."
"Then we get a request from an old lady who thinks her pigs are possessed. Turns out a symbol of a pagan cult is branded on her pigs."
"Fertility cult, right?"
"A cult of Isis, so most likely fertility. But then, this so-called fertility cult ritually murderers this old woman."
"After you ordered her pigs destroyed."
"Yes, you're right. I must remember that. We investigate, and find that there has been a plain-old normal murder of the Braganza family by poison, and that their uncle is missing. Also, the strongbox from the local tavern was robbed. We have assumed the two are linked..."
"But we don't know that for certain."
"Quite correct. Still, I think it is a reasonable conclusion to draw. Then, we find no traces of the criminal until we get news from Granada. That, and my vision from the Lord, seem to indicate that he is here."
"Right. But no one has any signs of the man we're looking for. Only a dead prostitute, ritually murdered in a similar way as the old woman."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Pedro, what did the bishop's documents say about the prostitute?"
"According to her church records, she was probably twenty years old. She was baptised as a young girl... Oh, it mentioned that she did attend confession regularly. And she even gave regular donations to her local church. Apparently, she made quite a bit of money."
"They accepted her money?"
"As poor as this place is, I imagine the priests need all the money they can get, just to help the poor and keep the church buildings in good order."
Marcos frowned in disapproval, but said nothing for a few moments.
“You are right, though. It still doesn’t make any sense, Pedro. Why Granada?”
“Well, it doesn’t make any occult sense. It does make criminal sense. Remember what you said about the lack of people. Anyone could disappear around here.”
“True. But why commit ritual murders here? And why women? If it’s a fertility cult, then killing women would seem counter-intuitive.”
“Don’t forget the public nature of the murders.”
“Right. The corpses are meant to be found.”
“Did the bishop’s records say anything else about the prostitute that I am forgetting?”
“Well, she was a Moor. Her family refuses to acknowledge her. I think she was an only child.”
The Inquisidor lifted his mug and drained its contents again.
“We just don’t know enough. We need more information.”
“And where are we going to get it?”
“Well, tonight I will ask the Holy Spirit for His assistance.”
“And tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow we request a formal audience with the Duque de Granada.”
“Why would we do that?”
“Because the duque likely has much better records regarding secular matters than the bishop. He also should have a respectable library, which I will want to make use of.”
Pedro cocked his eyebrow.
“I don’t think the murderer will be at the library.”
“Of course not. But no one just magically thinks up the exact same symbol of the cult of Isis by themselves, becomes a murderer, and just happens to come to Granada. No, there must be a paper trail of some type that we can follow. At the very least we will rule out some things.”
“Suit yourself. I hate libraries, though.”
The Inquisidor glanced quizzically at the familiar.
“Why?”
“Because they never let me take the books home.”
The Inquisidor was about to explain why, but he caught Pedro’s smile.
It would be a long, boring, but busy, day tomorrow.
