Apropos of the Sinners

by SpitFlame

Part VI – Chapter VI – The Alarm Begins

Sharp Heat was vaguely familiar with the tensions between Nova and his father. Having seen the bloodstains on Nova, and having helped him wash up, the question was what had gotten him so bloodied up in the first place. Sharp even knew of Bronze's exploits, due to the fact that Bronze was somewhat famous for his controversial and muddleheaded character.

One would think that the most immediate and direct thing for him to do, having seen the desperate and bloodstained Nova bolt out of his house as he did, having procured his crossbow, would be to go to Bronze's house and find out if anything had happened, and, if so, what exactly; and being convinced beyond any doubt, only then to go to the police commissioner, as Sharp firmly resolved to do so.

But the night was getting darker and darker, and the gates of Bronze's house were locked. He was only distantly familiar with Bronze Pocket—and so he would have to keep knocking loudly until he was heard and the gates were opened. But what if suddenly nothing happened at all, and a jeering Bronze were to go all over town tomorrow telling jokes about how a stranger, the artillery captain Sharp Heat, had forced his way into his house at night in order to find out if anypony had murdered him?

The risk of a scandal like that was certainly possible, and a scandal was the last thing Sharp wanted. Nevertheless he was moved by so strong a feeling that, having irritably stamped his hoof on the ground and given up knocking, he at once rushed his way to Golden Oak, to Olva Velvet.

If she, he thought, would answer just one question—whether or not she had given Nova five thousand bits at such-and-such a time—then, in case the answer was negative, he would go straight to the police commissioner, without making sure Bronze was home. Otherwise, he would put everything off until tomorrow and go back to his rented lodging.

Here, of course, it is immediately obvious that Sharp's decision to go at night, at roughly nine o'clock, to the residence of a society lady who was practically a complete stranger to him, and perhaps get her out of bed (because he assumed beauty sleep meant sleeping in early), in order to ask her an, under the circumstances, astonishing question, was perhaps much more likely to cause a scandal than going to Bronze Pocket. But it sometimes happens that way—especially in such cases—with the decisions of the most precise and coolheaded ponies. And at the moment Sharp was not completely coolheaded.

He remembered afterwards that he felt like he was being carried forth by a growing anxiety, almost against his will, as it were. Naturally, he kept having to tell himself, going to the library, "Just go through with it, just go through with it."

It was past nine o'clock when he came to Golden Oak. He knocked on the door and, after waiting for a bit, received the nervous inquiry of who it was through the door. Sharp Heat politely but insistently asked to be let inside, because he was there on some important (thought admittedly unofficial) business. It took some difficulty to convince her to let him in, given the fact that the library was closed, and Olva indeed had already retired to her bed, earlier than usual. She had been upset since Nova's visit and now anticipated she would not get through the night without a migraine.

But on hearing the inflexions of sincerity in Sharp's voice, and how polite he sounded, she decided to open the door and was amazed. She at once asked about his appearance, and why he had been bandaged up so much, despite the frock coat masking the concerning sight. He explained to her in the briefest way possible how he had gotten badly injured on the Flying Rift; and now he tried with difficulty to change the topic, because she piled inquiry after inquiry about what had happened there in detail. Still, he was very polite, which produced an unexpectedly positive impression for Olva.

Let me note that Sharp was quite handsome, and he was aware of it himself. Olva finally decided to let him in. She was already in her dressing gown and slippers. Sharp Heat, "the official," was shown into the foyer. She sat him down and looked sternly at him, asking, "So what business is this? What do you want?"

"My apologies for troubling you, madame, but I've come in connection with our mutual acquaintance, Nova Steel," began Sharp, but as soon as he spoke his name, Olva's face suddenly showed the greatest irritation. She all but shrieked and furiously interrupted him.

"How long, how long must I be tormented by that awful stallion?" she cried frenziedly. "How dare you, my dear sir, how could you venture to disturb a lady not of your acquaintance, in her own house, and at such an hour? And come to her to speak of a stallion who, right here, in this very room, just an hour ago, came to murder me, stamped his hooves and walked out as no pony walks out of a decent house. Let me tell you, my dear sir, that I will lodge a complaint against you, I will not stand for it, now kindly leave my house at once... I am a mother, I shall... I... I..."

"Wait a bit, you said murder? So he wanted to murder you, too?"

"Why, did he already murder somepony else?" asked Olva impetuously.

"Madame, I ask only for a minute of your time, I'll explain everything in a jiffy," Sharp answered firmly. "Today, a bit before eight o'clock, Nova walked into my house carrying heavy stacks of bits. His hooves and face were all covered with blood, and it looked like he had gone crazy. To my question of where he got so much money, he replied that he precisely received it from you, that you had loaned him a sum of five thousand bits."

Olva's face suddenly acquired a look of extraordinary and morbid excitement.

"Oh, sweet Celestia! He's murdered his old father!" she cried out, clasping her hooves together. "I gave him no money, none! Oh, run, run! Not a word more! Save the old stallion, run to his father, run!"

"I beg your pardon, madame, but you're saying that you didn't give him any money? You firmly recall that you didn't give him any?"

"I did not! I absolutely did not! I refused him, and he walked out furious and stamping his hooves. He rushed at me, but I jumped aside... And I shall also tell you, as a pony from whom I now have no intention of concealing anything, that he even spat at me, can you imagine it? But why are you standing? Ah, forgive me, I... or—no—run, run, you must run and save that unfortunate old stallion from a horrible death!"

"But what if he's already killed him?"

"Goodness, of course! What are we going to do now? What do you think we should do now?"

Sharp Heat gave her a brief but rather clear account of the affair, at least that part of the affair he himself had witnessed earlier, which included Nova mentioning his next destination: Baltimare, to some tavern. All these details struck the agitated lady to no end, so that she kept crying out and covering her eyes with her hooves.

"Imagine, I foresaw it all! I am endowed with this property: whatever I imagine always happens. How often, how often have I looked at that terrible stallion and thought: here is a stallion who will end up by murdering me. And now it's happened... that is, if he hasn't killed me now, but only his father, it is most likely because Princess Celestia's divine powers are protecting me, and, besides, he would probably be ashamed to murder a defenseless, middle-aged mother. I was so close to death at that moment! I went up to him, quite close, and he stretched his neck out to me. You know, Sharp Heat—eh, forgive me, you did say your name was Sharp Heat?"

"That's right, Sharp Heat."

"Oh, you know, I don't believe in miracles, but now I'm ready to believe in anything. Have you ever heard of the Mare in the Moon...? Ah, anyway, I don't know what I'm saying. He only spat, he didn't murder me, and... and... so that's where he flew to, Baltimare? But what about us? Where shall we go now, what do you think?"

Sharp Heat stood up and announced that he would now go directly to the police commissioner and tell them everything, and let them do as they would think is best.

"Ah, she's a wonderful pony, I know Ruby Spirit. Of course, go precisely to her. How resourceful you are, Sharp Heat, and what a good idea you've come up with; you know, in your place I'd never have been able to come up with that!"

"That's good to hear, I'm also well acquainted with the police commissioner," observed Sharp, still standing and evidently wishing somehow to tear himself away from the impetuous lady, who would not let him say goodbye to her and leave.

"And you know, you know," she went on prattling, "you must come back and tell me what you see and learn... and what they find out... and what they will decide about him, and where they will condemn him to. Tell me, we don't have capital punishment, do we? But you must come, even if it's three o'clock in the morning, even if it's four, keep knocking until I wake up; in fact, I'll leave the door unlocked, shake me to wake me up if you have to."

"That really won't be necess—"

"Oh, my goodness, but I'll never be able to fall asleep. You know, why don't I go with you myself?"

"N-no, madame, there's no need at all. Instead you should write down a few lines on a clean piece of paper, just in case, saying that you didn't give Nova Steel any money. It might prove to be useful... just in case..."

"Certainly!" The animated Olva leaped to her chest of drawers. "And you know, you amaze me, you simply astound me with your resourcefulness and your skill in these matters. Are you in service here? I'm so pleased to know you're in service here."

(Sharp was in service in Canterlot, not Ponyville, but he did not bother correcting her.)

While she spoke she quickly inscribed the following three lines on a half sheet of writing paper:

Never in my life did I lend the unfortunate Nova Steel (because he is unfortunate now) the sum of five thousand bits today, or any other money or valuables, never, never! I swear to it by all that is good in this world. I swear to it by the name of Princess Celestia herself.

Olva Velvet

"Here is the note!" she said, turning quickly to Sharp. "Go now and be a hero. It's a great deed on your part."

She kept looking with admiration at him. She even followed him to the front door.

"I am so grateful to you! You wouldn't believe how grateful I am to you now, for having come to me first. How is it we've never met? I shall be flattered to receive you in my house in the future, either here or in Manehattan. And how pleased I am to know that you're an artillery captain... and with your precision, your resourcefulness. They must appreciate you, they must finally understand you, and whatever I can do for you, believe me! Oh, I love the younger generation so much! I'm in love with younger ponies such as yourself. Young ponies—they are the foundation for all of today's modern Equestria, her only hope... Oh, go, go!"

But Sharp Heat had already run out, otherwise she would not have let him go so soon. All the same, Olva made quite a pleasant impression on him, which even somewhat softened his alarm at getting involved in such a nasty affair.

As for Olva herself, she was simply enchanted with the young captain. "Such skill, such exactitude, in our time, and all that with such manners and appearance—just like Cluster Tale! And yet they say our modern young ponies can't do anything, but here's an example for you," and so on and so forth. So that she simply forgot all about the terrible incident, and only on the point of going to bed did she suddenly recall again "how close she had been to death."

"Ah," she said, "it's terrible, just terrible!" And she at once fell into a sound sleep.

And it was with these incidental details that led to the arrival of the police commissioner, the deputy, and all the rest to Baltimare several hours later. How they got there so quickly is a testament to the quality of their service.

Author's Note:

Might take a little longer to publish the next chapter.