The plot quickens

So. Plot.

Setting: Soth Inla, a city in the Delta region of the River Anamnesis, during the reign of MeerRa of Rhyman; the city is on the verge of an industrial revolution

Protagonist: Cillian Rede, a transsexual courtesan, aka Ume Sky/Ardea? UmeLa? (Deltan name; means?) [Japanese: plum, plus Latin: genus of Japanese Night Heron]

Antagonist: A templar in the service of MeerAlya of Soth Inla; Expurgists

Balance: Cillian is living on the streets of Inla as Ume Sky, content with his lot, and doing quite well at business. He takes a commission from a templar one evening, who takes him to the temple itself. The temple at Inla is vast and has unused quarters where the templars often entertain, unbothered by the Meer. The templar has a guest, and while Cillian is reclining after their transaction, he overhears the two speaking about “Expurgists.” He’s not sure what this means, but files it away for future use, thinking it might be something he could use to exact more money from the templar. He departs with his purse for the evening and stops for a drink at the pub he frequents.

Disturbance: Cillian wakes up alone in an unknown bed, with no memory of what happened at the pub. He slips out and heads toward home (where’s “home”?) only to find that the streets are in chaos. He is nearly overrun by a carriage (horseless?), when a young courtier whisks him out of the street and into a side alley. (Cillian, of course, is dressed as Ume Sky.) The courtier, Cree, explains to him that a templar was murdered the night before, and the Guard is in search of woman meeting Ume’s description, last seen leaving a pub with the slain templar the previous evening. Cree claims to be doing Ume a favor because of her fair face, says he’s sure to see Ume around, but Ume should lay low for awhile. Cree departs, leaving Cillian standing baffled and alarmed in the alley.

Problem: Cillian has been framed for murder and must clear his name, and keep from getting killed by the real killer in the process.

Crisis: After being recruited by the newly formed League of Expurgists to seduce MeerAlya so that they can assassinate him once he has let down his guard, Cillian discovers that Alya is a complex person who is not the source of the ruling class’s oppression of the common. Cillian decides he can’t go on with the deception, but he is in too deep, and now has become a target for both the templars who pretend to be trying to root out the Expurgists, and the Expurgists themselves. Meanwhile, the Butcher of Bank Street is targeting courtesans (especially/only trannies?), and Cillian is his next target.

Climax: Cillian is betrayed by Cree, who believes she is doing the right thing. Unfortunately, since the Butcher of Bank Street and the templar who is secretly funding the Expurgists while plotting against them are one and the same, Cree has put Cillian right in the Butcher’s path.

When Cillian goes to MeerAlya at last with the plot against his life, Cree has set him up, and it is the Butcher/templar who hears Cillian’s “confession.” The Butcher has been plotting all along to frame Cillian for the murders, intending to out him as male at the same time to make it seem more plausible (Cillian has been “masquerading” as what he envies and hates), and then blame the Meer for his death. The Butcher reveals himself after Cillian makes his confession, and begins his ritualistic torture of Cillian in preparation of the killing.

The Meer himself comes to Cillian’s rescue, with the help of Cree who has realized what she’s done before it was too late.

Dénouement: Cree and Cillian don’t see each other for some time after the Butcher is apprehended and the plot to kill the Meer foiled, both feeling betrayed. Cillian spends some time with the Meer, further alienating Cree, but at last the two meet in the pub where both have returned to their prior personae, and grudgingly reunite.