Lord of the Libraries (9 page)
“I said
enough,
apprentice.” Craugh stood straight and tall and threatening. “Do not press me on this matter.”
enough,
apprentice.” Craugh stood straight and tall and threatening. “Do not press me on this matter.”
Juhg understood then. “The Grandmagister
doesn’t
know. How could you not tell him?”
doesn’t
know. How could you not tell him?”
Green flame blazed in the wizard’s eyes above the single tear.
At that moment, Juhg knew that his hold on life was as thin as a cat’s whisker.
“We leave this place,” Craugh said. “We leave this place now and don’t you dare ever speak to me of this subject again!” He turned and walked away.
Juhg watched the wizard go. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Even if he told everyone aboard
One-Eyed Peggie,
even if he could get Hallekk and the others to believe him even though they had been Craugh’s friends for years, the lives of the captain and crew would be forfeit.
One-Eyed Peggie,
even if he could get Hallekk and the others to believe him even though they had been Craugh’s friends for years, the lives of the captain and crew would be forfeit.
“Apprentice,” Craugh said, “I’ll not call you twice.”
Reluctantly, with much confusion and pain, Juhg picked up the lantern he’d brought inside the dead monster and trudged along in the wizard’s wake. He took a last, lingering glance back at the pile of salt that had been the woman. In a short time, the darkness claimed her and hid her from sight.
Once more aboard
One-Eyed Peggie,
Juhg stood and looked out over the dead monster lashed to the ship’s side. Full dark had descended upon the sea, but the crew worked by lantern light and the pale quarter-moon to repair the damage done to the vessel.
One-Eyed Peggie,
Juhg stood and looked out over the dead monster lashed to the ship’s side. Full dark had descended upon the sea, but the crew worked by lantern light and the pale quarter-moon to repair the damage done to the vessel.
“Didn’t find anything?” Hallekk asked, walking over to Juhg.
“Nothing of import,” Craugh answered in a neutral voice. There was no indication at all that he was lying.
And why would there be?
Juhg asked himself.
He’s a good liar. He’s lied for years.
Juhg asked himself.
He’s a good liar. He’s lied for years.
“But it’s dead, ain’t it?” the pirate captain asked.
“It’s dead,” Craugh assured him. The wizard glanced at Juhg.
Juhg pretended he didn’t see the look, but he had no intention of telling anyone aboard the ship. Maybe later when they had a chance to run for their lives.
Or maybe it will be too late then and Craugh will have already killed you.
Juhg didn’t like thinking like that, but it couldn’t be helped. He’d grown up in a goblinkin mine. He knew a lot about how evil the world could be. What surprised him most was how he could be surprised by who was evil.
Juhg didn’t like thinking like that, but it couldn’t be helped. He’d grown up in a goblinkin mine. He knew a lot about how evil the world could be. What surprised him most was how he could be surprised by who was evil.
Is Craugh evil? Is he truly helping to find the Grandmagister because the Grandmagister is his friend? Or is he interested in finding
The Book of Time
for his own purposes?
Juhg didn’t know.
The Book of Time
for his own purposes?
Juhg didn’t know.
Craugh pointed his staff at the ropes holding the dead bearded hoar-worm to the ship. At a single command, a small green fireball darted from the staff and burned through the ropes. Released from the dead weight, One-Eyed Peggie righted herself, coming up from the leaning position she’d been in. The monster’s body sank out of sight.
“What do ye think ye’re doin’?” a pirate bellowed. “Don’t ye know rope’s in short supply right now?”
Craugh turned back toward the pirates working in the rigging.
High above in the rigging, three dwarves quickly scattered from a fourth. They were barely visible by the light of the moon and the lantern hanging from a ’yard.
Juhg held his breath, waiting for the wizard to blast the dwarf from the rigging.
Instead, Craugh turned from them all. “I’m going to bed. If you need me, wake me. Carefully.”
Juhg watched the wizard go, torn by his own feelings for the man and what he had learned in the belly of the monster.
“Looks all done in, don’t he?” Hallekk asked.
“Yes,” Juhg replied.
“Let’s hope we don’t need him,” the pirate captain said. “We got a fair mess to deal with here, an’ we’re fallin’ behind the Grandmagister even further.”
“How long do you think we’ll be laid up?” Juhg asked.
Hallekk scratched his beard. “Two, mayhap three days.”
“They’ll be in Imarish by then,” Juhg said. If Aldhran Khempus had
tortured the Grandmagister into talking and he’d revealed the hiding place of whatever it was that was hidden in the city, there would be no way to stop it.
tortured the Grandmagister into talking and he’d revealed the hiding place of whatever it was that was hidden in the city, there would be no way to stop it.
Hallekk clapped him on the shoulder. “I know. I know. But there’s nothin’ to be done for it. We’ll do what we can. An’ don’t you be givin’ up on ol’ Wick. He’s a canny one, he is. I got stories about things he’s done that I still ain’t told you yet.”
Juhg worked with the dwarves all through the night. He couldn’t sleep. His mind was too filled with questions and brimming up to his eyeballs with fear about what would happen in Imarish or with Craugh.
He tramped through the sodden hold, helped rescue cargo that could be salvaged, and helped man the pumps to keep the water from filling the hold till repairs could be effected. Then he worked on the rigging, sorting out the rope and sail that could be saved from that which could not.
The work was as strenuous as he remembered. He’d crewed aboard ships before with the Grandmagister, but he’d never worked on a vessel that had been as sorely stricken as
One-Eyed Peggie
that had survived.
One-Eyed Peggie
that had survived.
Near dawn, when he found his flesh weak but his mind unflagging, he took his journal and his box of inks and charcoals from the protective rucksack and set to work in one of the longboats tied to
One-Eyed Peggie’s
side. He let his mind free, knowing he was tired and that true focus would evade him time and again if he tried to force it. Instead, he let his mind and hand shape the images that caught his attention.
One-Eyed Peggie’s
side. He let his mind free, knowing he was tired and that true focus would evade him time and again if he tried to force it. Instead, he let his mind and hand shape the images that caught his attention.
For a while, he worked with the charcoal, blocking out images that he wanted to remember. The bearded hoar-worm went on the pages several times, followed by the woman he and Craugh had confronted. He rendered the huge gem as well, then an image of the woman turning into salt in front of his eves.
Craugh figured into the visual mix as well. Sometimes the wizard took on heroic proportions, as when he’d ridden the magicked ocean wave to battle the monster. But there were other times, like when he’d been steeped in the shadows in the monster’s belly and when he’d talked with Ladamae that he was the very essence of the villain.
So which is he?
Juhg asked himself as he worked.
Hero or villain?
Juhg asked himself as he worked.
Hero or villain?
He didn’t know. Every time he tried to deal with the problem his mind
seemed wrapped in confusion and fear. He didn’t know that much about Craugh. The wizard was tight-lipped about his past life, as well as his life when he was away from Greydawn Moors, which was most of the time.
seemed wrapped in confusion and fear. He didn’t know that much about Craugh. The wizard was tight-lipped about his past life, as well as his life when he was away from Greydawn Moors, which was most of the time.
Juhg grew uncomfortably aware that it was all too easy to see Craugh in the role of the villain.
Why did he make such a friendship with the Grandmagister?
Suddenly, even those motives were suspect.
Why did he make such a friendship with the Grandmagister?
Suddenly, even those motives were suspect.
Could the Grandmagister be fooled?
Juhg struggled hard with that one. Edgewick Lamplighter was the smartest person Juhg knew. But even with that said, Juhg also knew the Grandmagister wasn’t very worldly. The Grandmagister couldn’t help that, of course. It was just the way he was. But he couldn’t be fooled, either.
Juhg struggled hard with that one. Edgewick Lamplighter was the smartest person Juhg knew. But even with that said, Juhg also knew the Grandmagister wasn’t very worldly. The Grandmagister couldn’t help that, of course. It was just the way he was. But he couldn’t be fooled, either.
Except, perhaps, by a friend.
Juhg sighed with frustration as he listened to the dwarven pirates singing off-color sea shanties as they went about their labors. Later in the day they would put out the longboats and haul
One-Eyed Peggie
over so they could repair the cracked timbers below the waterline. Thankfully, Hallekk—just as Farok did before him—kept a surplus of wood and sailcloth aboard the ship.
One-Eyed Peggie
over so they could repair the cracked timbers below the waterline. Thankfully, Hallekk—just as Farok did before him—kept a surplus of wood and sailcloth aboard the ship.
The journal Juhg carried for his private thoughts was an old one. A number of images that he’d experimented with first before putting in a finished form were on the pages. Some of the images were from the last quest he’d gone on with the Grandmagister. Before Juhg’s frustration with the Library’s continued hiding had rankled him and he could no longer deal with it. Before the trap had been sprung at the Vault of All Known Knowledge and the Library had come tumbling down around their ears.
Craugh had been with them on that trip as well. There were sketches of Craugh and the Grandmagister around the cook fire out in the wilderness of the Forest of Fangs and Shadows. Then again in the tavern of the Blistered Boots when they’d had to set a trap for the thieves who had taken the Tinker’s Egg, which could have destroyed the whole town of Hanged Elf’s Point if the Grandmagister and Craugh hadn’t intercepted it in time.
Later images showed Craugh battling Dread Riders and Blazebulls and Grymmlings. Juhg had wanted to capture the sheer power and bravery of those moments for the book the Grandmagister had entreated him to write about the Library’s calamitous fall.
The night gave way to the dawn. Pink clouds filled the eastern sky.
Juhg studied the horizon for a moment, then captured the image on
the journal page. The sketch felt right, cool and clean, and went down on the paper with no hesitation. He loved the feel of putting the lines together. It felt … right.
the journal page. The sketch felt right, cool and clean, and went down on the paper with no hesitation. He loved the feel of putting the lines together. It felt … right.
He sipped soured pricklepear tea from the galley. Cook had made a lot of it, hoping to keep up the strength of the dwarven pirates. His stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten, but he didn’t have the interest for a meal.
He flipped through the pages as the fog filled the morning, promising another dreary day. The only good thing was that they wouldn’t easily be seen by other ships, which would—doubtlessly—be enemies.
Feeling the chill bite into him more now that he was still, Juhg reached into the storage compartment aboard the longboat and took out a blanket that was mostly dry. There were hardtack biscuits in there as well, but he knew he couldn’t stomach them. Those were meant to be softened with water or tea before they were eaten, and even then to be eaten only under the most dire circumstances.
He pulled the blanket over himself and studied the pictures he’d drawn of Craugh. The influence he’d been under during the times those drawings had been made were palpable. No historian he’d ever read, no artist he’d ever studied, had been totally neutral about their subject. They’d either hated them or loved them. Even the ones who hadn’t cared about what they were doing had left telltale imprints on their work.
So which is it?
Juhg asked himself.
Hero or villain?
Juhg asked himself.
Hero or villain?
Friend or enemy?
Somewhere in there, with the fog-shrouded sun on his face warming his skin, he fell asleep. And in his sleep, nightmares came for him out of the darkness.
“Apprentice?”
Covered in sweat from his exertions, Juhg looked up from the tangle of rigging and sails to see Craugh standing only a few feet behind him. Sudden fear filled Juhg. He hoped it didn’t show.
“Feeling better?” Juhg asked because he didn’t know what else to say.
Since coming aboard after the incident inside the monster, Craugh had retired to his cabin and slept almost forty-nine hours. Full night lay upon
One-Eyed Peggie
and the darkness had turned the fog a pale gray that bobbed and moved and looked like things were alive out in the distance. Hallekk had posted double guards and the rest of the crew worked on repairing the damage the monster had caused.
One-Eyed Peggie
and the darkness had turned the fog a pale gray that bobbed and moved and looked like things were alive out in the distance. Hallekk had posted double guards and the rest of the crew worked on repairing the damage the monster had caused.
“I am,” Craugh agreed. He looked a little better, but he still didn’t look well enough to be up and around. Evidently all the magic he’d used against the bearded hoar-worm had left him hollow of energy. His shoulders were still stooped from hard use. “You shouldn’t be out here working on this mess.”
A few of the nearby pirates looked over at Craugh with some irritation.
“Sorting the rigging and the canvas after a disaster like this is hard work.” Juhg kept his hands busy. They had most of the yards replaced and the canvas repaired. The rigging came next.
“You already have a task.” Craugh shook his head. “I thought that was made plain enough to you.”
“The books are nearly done.” Juhg shook loose another tangled knot and continued working the line of rigging he was sorting. He felt the resentment toward Craugh banging at his temples. He still didn’t know if he wanted to trust the man.
“But your task—”
Juhg hardened his voice, letting the pain of his confusion speak for him. “The work out here is more important now. We’re not going anywhere until
Peggie
is seaworthy again. Right now we’re just a plump goose sitting in the water.” As he knelt there, he felt his heart beating in his chest. He knew he should shut up and not goad the wizard, but he couldn’t help himself. Was he helping Craugh, whom the Grandmagister had entrusted his life to, only to be helping the very person who would turn around and betray him?
Peggie
is seaworthy again. Right now we’re just a plump goose sitting in the water.” As he knelt there, he felt his heart beating in his chest. He knew he should shut up and not goad the wizard, but he couldn’t help himself. Was he helping Craugh, whom the Grandmagister had entrusted his life to, only to be helping the very person who would turn around and betray him?
Craugh put his hands behind his back, holding on to his staff as if he had to restrain himself. He took in a short breath and let it out. “This work is best left to those who are good at it.”
“I am good at it.”
A dark flush fired under Craugh’s pale cheeks. “By the Old Ones, you’re pigheaded.”
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