Magician’s End (26 page)

‘I don’t want to know more,’ said Squeaky. ‘How many do you need?’

‘Two is all we need,’ said Hal.

‘About our size if you can arrange it.’

Squeaky fixed the two swordsmen with a narrow gaze. ‘If it’s a bit of murder or assault you want, I’m your boy. But I need money now, two gold.’

Two gold was two days’ wages for a master craftsman. Squeaky had been content with a single silver piece to introduce Ty to Sheridan. ‘That’s quite a bit,’ said Ty.

‘I got to show a coin to the crushers to get them to come, and they’ll almost certainly take it from me. If you don’t do whatever it is you want, they’ll keep it and be looking for me.’

‘Fair enough, given the risk,’ agreed Hal. He reached into his own belt-purse and fished out two pieces of gold.

Squeaky said, ‘Here’s as good as anywhere. The crushers will expect no good and anyone who sees what happens isn’t going to be wanting to talk to anyone about this.’ He dashed off.

‘Now?’ asked Ty.

‘When the soldiers show up, we remove their uniforms and try not to get too much blood on them.’

‘The soldiers or the uniforms?’

‘The uniforms,’ said Hal dryly. He quickly outlined what he had in mind.

In less than a quarter of an hour, people in the small market began diving for cover, opening a tunnel that revealed a small boy being chased by two soldiers. Squeaky ran to where Hal and Ty stood and ducked behind the two swordsmen.

As planned, Hal and Ty stood with arms crossed, as the two soldiers came to a halt. ‘Give up that boy!’ shouted a red-faced sergeant, out of breath from the chase.

His companion was less patient and put his hand on Hal’s chest as if to push him out of the way.

‘I ain’t going with no pederast!’ shouted Squeaky.

The sergeant’s eyes widened and he began to say something, but at that moment Ty’s sword came out of his scabbard and the pommel slammed into the point of the sergeant’s jaw behind his ear.

Hal leaned away from the man who had his hand on his chest, and struck him with a balled fist three times in the face. In seconds both men were unconscious.

With a grin Ty said, ‘See, no blood.’

‘Greed and caution,’ said Hal. ‘Greed wins just about every time.’

Squeaky said, ‘My other coin?’

‘What did you say?’ asked Ty.

‘I told them a fat merchant had died and this was all I could get out of his purse.’ He took the gold coin Hal had removed from the sergeant’s belt-pouch. ‘I told them if they’d help me move his fat carcass, I’d split the gold with them. When the sergeant grabbed my coin, I shouted I’d find someone else and ran.’

‘Bright lad,’ said Hal.

They quickly stripped the bodies and donned the uniform: tunics, tabards, and helms. They assumed no one would notice their own dark trousers were of better weave than those the soldiers were wearing.

Squeaky, the other boys, and a couple of unsavoury-looking thugs had gathered to watch. When Hal was satisfied they looked enough like members of the city garrison, he turned to Squeaky. ‘We’re off now.’

‘What do you want us to do with these two?’ asked the boy.

‘Know any Durban slavers?’ asked Hal, joking.

‘Not from Durban, but there’s a gang runs up here once every so often from Jonril.’ Hal was momentarily taken aback, then he realized the boy was talking about the original city in Kesh, not the fortress in Crydee named for that city.

‘Care to make them an offer?’ asked Ty, not joking.

‘Well, normally that would be just the thing, but with this city bottled up as it were, no slaver is going to be seen here for a few weeks. If we keep them hidden, we got to feed them and then there’s the risk we get caught out, and that means the hangman for all of us.’

At the mention of the hangman, the two thugs and most of the boys decided it was time to be somewhere else.

Squeaky grinned. ‘You don’t really want me to keep these boys cool until some slavers show up?’

‘No,’ said Hal, returning the boy’s infectious smile. ‘Just keep them confined for a while.’ He fished out his purse and tossed it to the boy. ‘There should be enough in that for you to buy some help. Keep these two until the day after tomorrow. Put something into their drink and before dawn dump them somewhere they’ll be found – in their smallclothes, reeking of cheap ale. Let them explain to their commander why they’re in that condition.’

Squeaky laughed. ‘I like that!’ He turned to the remaining lads, and said, ‘Up we go, boys. Let’s get them to Granny’s and see to their keeping!’

Four boys picked up each of the unconscious soldiers and hauled them scuffing and bumping across the cobbles as they were taken from the thieves’ market.

Hal said, ‘Let’s go move some wagons.’

Two hours later, a company of teamsters escorted by two soldiers appeared outside the barracks. In orderly fashion, Jeremiah and his boys began inspecting the wagons, horses, and lashings on the load.

A corporal from the barracks came over and said, ‘What’s this, then?’

‘Orders,’ said Hal, wearing the sergeant’s uniform.

‘No one told me about any orders to move this wine,’ said the corporal, being careful to stay just shy of sounding belligerent with a superior.

‘And I expect the chancellor runs down here every time he decides to issue orders to see how you feel about it, right, Corporal?’ Hal let his voice rise until he was shouting the man’s rank in his face.

The corporal took a step back, but then his brow furrowed. ‘Can’t say I know you, Sergeant, and I know every sergeant in this city.’

He appeared to be verging on calling for others inside the barracks to come out, but Hal cut him off. He reached inside his tabard and pulled the false orders from his belt and said, ‘That’s because I’m new to the city. I used to be a corporal in Bantree.’ Hal thanked the gods he had been forced to study Kingdom geography when he was younger and knew the position of every kingdom and ducal garrison. ‘Got promoted. With all this militia, the duke needs more sergeants.’ He thrust the orders into the corporal’s hands. ‘You haven’t got your promotion yet?’

Now the corporal was flummoxed. Hal’s question distracted him from the orders he could barely read. He glanced at the signature and seal at the bottom and handed them back. ‘No, no one’s said anything about promotions.’

‘Probably just a couple more days,’ suggested Ty.

The drivers were all mounted up and Hal said, ‘Do me a favour. We’re new here and with all the mess at the muster points it would speed things along if a familiar face came along. What’s your name?’

‘Herbert,’ said the corporal.

‘Ride with me to the western gate and help us get this mess outside the walls.’ He pointed to the piles of manure beneath the wagons. ‘And when I get them where they’re supposed to go, I’ll be sure to mention to Captain—’

‘Bennet?’

‘Yes, Bennet, how helpful you were and ask, polite like, why you haven’t received word of the promotions yet.’

Corporal Herbert’s expression changed completely from one of suspicion to gratitude. ‘I can do that. Thank you, Sergeant!’

Hal indicated Ty should run back to the final wagon, and then told the corporal that he should get up on the other side of Jeremiah. Once everyone was ready, Jeremiah started off and the others followed.

The chaos of the morning had died down somewhat, but there were still many armed men in the streets. They came to an intersection to turn west and found a half-company of soldiers blocking the way. Herbert shouted down, ‘Corporal Soams! What’s this?’

‘Just put down a bit of a riot, Herbert. What are you about?’

‘Orders from the chancellor. We have to take this freight outside the walls. Do us a favour and help clear the way, will you?’

The second corporal shouted orders and formed up his men, clearing the way for the wagon train. They moved purposefully towards the closed western gate. Herbert stood up and shouted, ‘Soams! Have one of your lads hurry along and open the gates!’

They moved quickly through the city with the escort. As they reached the last part of the main west road, a cloaked figure leaped up onto the last wagon, startling the driver. Ty glanced over and smiled. ‘Lady Franciezka, joining us?’

For the first time since Ty had known her, she looked surprised. ‘You knew I was in Salador?’

‘I thought that was you skulking around when Hal was making his introduction to Jeremiah. With all due respect to your rank and ability to cut out my heart without flinching, you’re a very hard lady not to notice.’

Keeping the hood pulled forward, she said in the High Roldemish tongue, so the driver couldn’t understand her, ‘You’re a lot more like Jim Dasher than your father at times, you know that?’

‘I’ll take that as a compliment,’ he answered in the same language.

‘Well, Jim has spent enough time training you that it would be hard for you not to think like him.’

Ty’s expression barely held, surprise hovering.

‘There’s not a lot about Jim’s operations I don’t know,’ she said, patting his shoulder, then added with a wry expression, ‘and not a lot about mine he doesn’t know.’

‘If you say so,’ Ty offered in neutral terms. His relationship with Jim Dasher had been one of the most closely held secrets in Ty’s life. Even his father did not suspect that Ty was Jim’s agent.

‘Where are you heading?’ she asked, again speaking the King’s Tongue.

‘Darkmoor, or at least these wagons are going there. Hal and I will stop at the Fields of Albalyn.’

‘Good,’ she said.

They both fell silent as the wagons came to a halt.

The captain at the gate came over to Herbert and said, ‘What have we here, Corporal?’

‘Orders to move this from the chancellor, sir.’

‘Let’s see them.’

Hal handed over the orders to Herbert who handed them down to the captain, who looked annoyed as he said, ‘I can hardly read this scratching.’ He handed it back and looked at Hal. ‘Who are you?’

Ty and Franciezka both tensed. Hal said, ‘I’m just in from Bantree, Captain. Just promoted.’ He pointed to Herbert. ‘Someone needs to find out what happened to Herbert’s orders.’

‘What orders?’

‘Everyone’s getting a promotion,’ said Hal. ‘With all this militia … why, there might be orders coming to make you a major or even a general, I don’t know. Can we be on our way now?’

Diverting the captain’s attention with the suggestion of a promotion seemed to do the trick. He waved them along and said to his own sergeant, ‘I’m heading to the castle to speak with the knight-general. Watch things for me.’

As Hal drove past the confused-looking sergeant, he shouted down, ‘Make sure these gates are closed tight when we’re through, and don’t let anyone else out without written orders!’ He patted Herbert on the shoulder and said, ‘Better get back!’

The now-completely-won-over corporal said, ‘Thanks, Sergeant! I won’t forget this.’

Trying hard not to laugh, Jeremiah said, ‘I’m sure he won’t.’

Once the gates were closed behind them, Hal shouted to Jeremiah, ‘As much speed as these poor horses can manage, if you please.’

‘We’re going to have to rest them soon and find some grazing. Those idiots starved them for almost a day. Still, they’re good animals and will bounce back.’

‘How long?’

‘We should graze them for at least an hour, two would be better, and then we can push on after sundown for an hour or so. By tomorrow they’ll be as good as new.’

‘If Squeaky and his lads do their part, no one will be looking for us until after that, so I think it’s a safe bet.’

‘There’ll be some patrols between here and Prince Edward’s line,’ said Jeremiah.

‘I can still show orders, and if it comes to a brawl, how are your lads?’

‘Fed up to their gullets with anything to do with the Duke of Salador. They’ll fight.’

‘We’ll try to avoid that if we can,’ said Hal. ‘How do you think the wine fared?’

‘Not good,’ said Jeremiah. ‘But it’s not been especially hot. The jostling along the road’s doing it more damage, I’ll worry about how it’s holding when I get somewhere we can sell it. First thing is to get home.’

‘Yes to that,’ agreed Hal as they moved away from Salador.

An hour and a bit after dark found the wagons unhitched along the banks of a small stream that cut across the road at a well-tended ford. The water only came up to the wagons’ hubs, so it was easy enough to manage, but there was enough grass on both sides of the stream and the road that the horses could crop until full.

Hal had been surprised to find Lady Franciezka with them, but after a moment’s consideration of who she was in the scheme of things, he decided having her appear just about anywhere should come as no shock.

Hal organized the camp, set up sentries, and then came to where Ty and Franciezka were sitting near the fire. In low tones so the drivers wouldn’t overhear, Hal said, ‘Care to tell me what you were doing in Salador, my lady?’

She looked at him and said, ‘As a matter of fact I do. Let’s say that for the moment we’re allies and I need to be moving in the same direction.’

Hal was silent, then said, ‘So Roldem will either back Edward’s claim or stand apart.’ He studied her face. ‘You’re telling Edward the King of Roldem will recognize his claim,’ he stated flatly.

‘How did you arrive at that conclusion?’ she asked.

‘If Roldem was standing apart, you wouldn’t be personally carrying word. A messenger would have been sent to Oliver’s camp outside Rillanon and another would have landed in Salador, told Arthur he was there, and been given diplomatic passage to Edward.’ He sighed. ‘You’re carrying a message that Oliver and, by extension, Arthur do not wish Edward to hear.’

She was silent for a moment, then said, ‘You’re smarter than you look.’

Ty grinned.

Even without her usual gowns and make-up, in the flickering campfire, the Lady Franciezka Sorboz was one of the most stunning women either young man had seen. They both knew she ranked far higher in the king’s court than was made public.

‘What news of Roldem?’ asked Hal.

Ty and Franciezka both knew he was asking after the Princess Stephané. ‘The royal house is in good order, now that the traitors have been unmasked. It seems our three inhuman … whatever they were, had more dupes than willing allies. A few heads were taken, but mostly it was a boring procession of apologetic nobles again pledging their loyalty to the Crown.’