Rise of a Merchant Prince (42 page)

Tim nodded, and suddenly the two guards gripping McCraken's arms tightened their grip, holding him motionless. Jacoby swiftly drew a poniard from his belt and drove it into McCraken's stomach. “You should have stayed in the warehouse, McCraken. Briggs is dead, and now”—the accountant slumped in the grip of the two guards—“so are you.” With a motion of his head he indicated they should dispose of the body in the harbor. The two guards took two steps down the stairs beside the longboat and threw the body into the water a few feet in front of the bow. Another body found floating in the harbor would hardly be worth mention in Krondor.

Roo waited until he calculated almost all the gold was loaded on the boat, then he stepped out and with as much authority as he could muster shouted, “Don't move! You're surrounded.”

As he hoped, those near the wagon and the boat couldn't see who was out there in the fog, and that hesitation gave Roo the advantage he had hoped for; had they instantly charged him, as good a swordsman as he was, he would have been overwhelmed.

A strangled cry sounded from the back of the wagon and a man fell to the cobbles. Roo wondered at this, until he heard Duncan's voice shout, “We told you not to move!”

One man near the body glanced down and said, “It's a dagger! This ain't the City Watch!”

He took a step and was brought down by another dagger, and a different voice said, “We never said we were the City Watch.” Moving slowly forward from beyond the other side of the building that had sheltered Roo, a figure could be dimly seen. Roo thought he recognized the voice, and then he made out some familiar features. Dashel Jameson walked casually forward until he was visible to both sides.

In the distance, hooves striking cobbles could be heard and Dash said, “And we also have reinforcements on their way. Put down your weapons.”

Some of the men hesitated, when a third dagger sped out of the darkness from where Dashel had emerged and thudded into the side of the wagon. “He said put down your weapons!” shouted a different, odd-sounding voice.

Roo prayed to Ruthia, Goddess of Luck, that it was Luis and his men whose hooves clattered through the early morning, approaching rapidly. Jacoby's guards slowly knelt, placing weapons on the cobbles.

Roo waited another moment, then came forward. “Good morning, Timothy, Randolph.” He tried to
sound casual.

Jacoby said, “You!”

Just then Luis rode into view and a dozen horsemen came after, fanning out to surround those men already on the ground. Several carried crossbows, which they leveled at the wagons and at the boat.

“Did you think I'd let you flee with my gold?”

Jacoby nearly spat, he was so angry. “What do you mean,
your
gold?”

Roo said, “Come along, Tim. McCraken and Briggs told us everything.”

Jacoby said, “Briggs? How could he? We—”

“Shut up, you fool!” commanded Randolph.

Roo glanced to where McCraken floated in the bay. “So you sent Herbert to join Briggs, did you?”

“I'll send you to join them in hell!” snapped Timothy Jacoby, pulling his sword from his belt, despite the crossbows pointed his way.

“No!” shouted Randolph, pushing his brother aside as three bolts were unleased.

Two bolts took Randolph in the chest and another in the neck, and blood exploded across the men standing behind him. He hit the ground like a fly swatted out of the air by a human hand.

Tim Jacoby rose up from the ground, holding his sword in one hand and a poniard in the other, and there was only madness and rage in his eyes. Luis started to draw back his dagger to throw, but Roo said, “No! Let him come. It's time to finish this.”

“You've been a thorn in my side since the day we met,” said Tim Jacoby. “You've killed my brother!”

Roo leveled his sword and said, “And Helmut died at your hands.” He motioned for Jacoby to come toward him. “Come on! What are you waiting for?”

The men stepped back and Jacoby rushed Roo. Roo was the experienced soldier, while Jacoby was nothing more than a murdering bully, but now he was a murdering bully inflamed by hatred and the desire for revenge.

He closed on Roo faster than he'd anticipated, and Roo was forced to defend and retreat against the lethal two-handed attack.

“Light!” commanded Duncan, and quickly men opened the shutters on the one lamp, throwing an eerie glow through the fog as the two men struggled. One of the horsemen jumped down, opened a saddlebag, and pulled out a bundle of short torches. He struck steel and flint while Roo and Jacoby slashed and parried, and brought a light to life. He quickly lit and distributed flaming brands to Luis's men, and a circle of light surrounded the two combantants.

Luis had his men pick up the weapons Jacoby's men had put down and moved the guards toward the wagon. Roo fought for his life.

Back and forth the attacks and defenses moved the two men, each waiting for the other to make a mistake. The fury was finally flowing out of Jacoby as he tired, while Roo vowed he would never go so long without practicing his weapons again. Clashing steel echoed across the harbor. Upon distant ships at their moorings, guards lit lanterns and called questions.

A watchman came out between two buildings, saw Randolph lying in a spreading pool of blood, the two fighters, and the two bands of men, and retreated hastily. When he was safely out of harm's way, he produced a tin whistle and began blowing it fiercely. A squad of three constables appeared a short while
later, and the watchman explained what he had seen. The senior constable sent one of his men to headquarters for more men, and then accompanied the other man back toward the dock.

Roo felt his arms begin to ache. What Jacoby lacked in skill he gained back by using two weapons, a style of fighting difficult to defend with a single blade.

Jacoby had a tricky move, an advance with his sword extended, followed by a slash with his left hand. It was designed to cut across the chest of any opponent who tried to engage his sword and riposte. The first time he tried it, Roo barely escaped with a tear in his tunic.

Roo wiped perspiration from his brow with his left hand, keeping the point of his sword directed at Jacoby. Jacoby's right boot heel tapped, and then he extended and advanced, following with the left-hand slash. Roo leaped backward. He chanced a glance over his shoulder and saw that he was being driven toward a large pile of crates, and once his back was against them, he would have no room to escape.

The tap of Jacoby's boot heel against the cobbles saved Roo's life, for he leaped backward before he turned to look again at Jacoby, and barely missed the poniard slashing through the air. Roo crouched.

As he expected, he heard the boot heel tap again, and without hesitation Roo leaned foward. He beat aside Jacoby's extended blade, but rather than come straight in, Roo dropped his own blade, extended his left hand downward to touch the stones, and ducked under the vicious slash of the poniard. For a moment he was completely vulnerable, but Jacoby's blades were in no position to take advantage. Roo knew that
any experienced fighter might kick with his boot, sending Roo to the stones, but he doubted Jacoby had ever seen this move. With his right hand, Roo thrust upward, catching Jacoby in his right side, just below the ribs. As the sword traveled upward, it pierced lung and heart.

Jacoby's eyes widened and a strange, childlike sound issued from his lips, and his fingers ceased to possess any strength. Sword and poniard fell from his hands. Then his knees wobbled and he collapsed upon the ground as Roo yanked his blade free.

“Don't anyone move,” said a voice.

Roo glanced over his shoulder and saw the senior constable approaching with riot club in one hand, absently slapping the palm of the other. Gasping for breath, Roo felt a giddy admiration for the officer of the Prince's City Watch, willing to confront two dozen armed men with nothing more than his badge of office and a billy.

Roo said, “Wouldn't think of it.”

More horsemen could be heard approaching as the constable said, “Now then, what have we here?”

Roo said, “It's simple. These two dead men are thieves. Those men over there”—he pointed to the disarmed guards by the wagon—“are hired thugs. And that wagon and that boat are loaded with my stolen gold.”

Seeing no one was attempting to cause trouble, the constable put his billy under his arm and rubbed his chin. “And who might that wet fellow floating in the harbor be?”

Roo blew out and took a deep breath. “By name, Herbert McCraken. He was an accountant at my countinghouse. He helped those two steal my gold.”

“Hmmm,” said the constable, obviously not convinced. “And who might you be, sir, to be having countinghouses, accounts, and large shipments of gold?” He glanced down at the Jacoby brothers, and added, “And a surplus of corpses.”

Roo smiled. “I'm Rupert Avery. I'm a partner in the Bitter Sea Company.”

The constable nodded. As horsemen rounded the corner and approached the group, he said, “That's a name few haven't heard in Krondor in the last year or so. Is there someone here likely to vouch for you?”

Dash stepped forward. “I will. He's my boss.”

“And who might you be?” asked the constable.

“He's my grandson,” said the lead rider.

Trying to see the figure on horseback through the gloom, the constable said, “And then who might you be?”

Lord James rode forward into the circle of torches and lanterns and said, “My name is James. And in a manner of speaking, I'm your boss.”

Then the other newly arrived riders appeared, soldiers in the garb of the Prince's personal guards, and Knight-Marshal William said, “Why don't you take these men”—he pointed to the Jacoby guards—“into custody, Constable. We'll deal with these other gentlemen.”

The constable was nearly speechless at being in the presence of the Duke of Krondor and the Knight-Marshal, and hesitated a long moment before he said, “Yes, sir! Titus!”

From out of the shadows came a young constable, barely twenty years of age by his appearance. He carried a crossbow. “Yes, Sergeant?”

“Arrest that lot over there.”

“Yes, sir!” said the young constable and he pointed his crossbow at them in menacing fashion. “Come along, and no funny business.”

Other constables appeared and the sergeant moved them to positions surrounding the dozen captives, escorting them away.

Roo turned to Lord James and said, “I don't suppose you just happened to be out for a very early morning ride, m'lord?”

James said, “No. We had you followed.”

Out of the shadows came the girl Katherine and Jimmy.

“Followed?” asked Roo. “Why?”

“We need to talk,” said James. Turning his horse, he said, “Get cleaned up and get your gold to safety, then come to the palace for breakfast.”

Roo nodded. “Straight away, m'lord.” To Luis and Duncan he said, “Get the gold off the boat and back to our offices.” Then he turned to Dash and said, “And tell me: whose employee are you? Mine or your grandfather's?”

Dash grinned and shrugged. “In a manner of speaking, both of yours.”

Roo said nothing for a moment, then said, “You're discharged.”

Dash said, “Ah, I don't think you can do that.”

“Why not?” demanded Roo.

“Grandfather will explain.”

Roo shrugged. Suddenly too tired to think, he said, “I could use some food and coffee.” He sighed. “A lot of coffee.”

The men began loading the gold back into the Jacoby's wagon, and two men took the Jacoby brothers' bodies to load into the wagon beside the gold.
Roo put his sword away, wondering what was coming next. At least, he reasoned, he could meet the demand note and keep his company alive. Never, he vowed silently, would he let his company become that vulnerable again.

Roo sipped at the coffee and sighed. “This is excellent.”

James nodded. “Jimmy buys it at Barret's for me.”

Roo smiled. “Best coffee in the city.”

The Duke of Krondor said, “What am I to do with you?”

“I'm not sure I take your meaning, m'lord.”

They all sat around a large table in the Duke's private quarters. Knight-Marshal William sat beside the Duke, while Jimmy, Dash, and Katherine filled out the company. Owen Greylock entered the room and sat.

“Good morning, m'lord, Marshal, Roo,” he said with a smile.

“As I was explaining to your old friend here, Captain Greylock, I'm at something of a loss as what to do with him,” said James.

Greylock looked confused. “Do with him?”

“Well, there are several dead bodies down at the docks and a lot of gold with little explanation as to how it got there.”

Roo said, “M'lord, with all due respect, I've explained this all to you.”

“So you say,” replied James. He leaned forward and pointed a finger at Roo. “But you're a convicted murderer, and several of your business dealings in the recent past have bordered on the criminal.”

Roo's fatigue made him prickly. “Bordering on the criminal isn't the same as being criminal . . . m'lord.”

“Well, we could impound the gold and hold a hearing,” said Marshal William.

Roo sat straight. “You can't! If I don't get that gold to my creditors by the end of the day, I'll be ruined. That was the entire thrust of Jacoby's plans.”

James said, “Will everyone but Mr. Avery please leave us for a while. Breakfast is now finished.”

Greylock looked at the food still on the table with regret, but he rose and departed with the others, leaving Roo alone with Lord James.

James stood and came to the empty chair next to Roo and sat. “This is how it is,” he said. “You've done very well. Remarkable doesn't begin to cover how well you've done in your rise, young Avery. At one point I thought we might have to take a hand in seeing you survive the attempts your enemies made upon you, but you didn't need our help. That's to your credit.