by J. K. Holt
This was not the first time that Tess had been the center of attention in this group. She felt, again, like a barely concealed imposter. She steeled herself and glanced to Gowan, reminding herself that this was why she’d brought him. He’d settled down beside her and was watching her now, his presence solid and steadying. He raised an eyebrow at her. Well, go on then, girl.
Tess placed her hands on the table in front of her, resisting the urge to fidget. She forced herself to meet the eyes of those around her.
“Last night, as you all know, Loren woke up. But before he came out of it, fully, he was… well, he seemed to be lingering in some sort of hallucinatory state.” She’d practiced the story so many times today, but it still seemed wooden flowing through her lips. She cleared her throat and continued. “He spoke to me, but he didn’t know it was me. I believe I was able to fool him. I’m not sure who he thought he was talking to, but I think it was to someone he trusts.”
She faltered and looked up into Dray’s eyes. He was the only one who knew she was lying, but he seemed unfazed by her new version. He smiled slightly at her, as if to signify his approval of the revised narrative.
She continued. “He wasn’t in the state for very long, but I questioned him as best I could. I confirmed some things that we had already guessed, but I also think I obtained some new information.”
She grasped her hands and leaned forwards. “To start, I’ll go over what he confirmed for us. One, he’s working with someone who has either recently been, or is still stationed in the Lonely Isles. As I’m sure you remember, it’s one of the places we traced the Blue Plague to before it came to Wharfton. We were right to think it was all connected, that they’re using the plague in part to cover up whatever they’re doing in these places. And they might still be searching there, in the Isles, for whatever it is.”
She continued. “Loren, at least, believes that what they’re looking for is either located at the Sea Dimple, or maybe that the Dimple has some answers for them. I’d have to assume that the Blackbirder is still out there, continuing whatever they’re doing, without Loren. I think he’s an important part of the operation, but not so much that it wouldn’t continue without him.”
Ashe nodded, confirming. “The fishermen still have orders to stay away, and the Blackbirder is still docked in the harbor every night, disappearing at first light. They’ve not stopped their searching.”
There was murmured assent across the group. “What else?” Ashe asked.
“Well,” Tess began. “I got the idea that Loren and Mr. Winslow, the other man on the Blackbirder who questioned me, might not be in agreement on how to proceed from here. I’m not sure what that might mean for us, but it might be something we could exploit, if the opportunity arose.”
“Noted,” Tulla said. “It never hurts to have this knowledge, just in case.”
Tess felt a flush of warmth at the perceived compliment, immediately annoyed by the fact that she cared. She shook it off.
“But here’s what’s new- they’re holding someone somewhere. Loren referred to him as the scholar-” Tess stopped at the intake of breath across the table.
Emme looked pale, and Ashe leaned closer to her. “Okay, Emme?” he whispered.
She ignored him. “Did he say scholar or high scholar?” she asked Tess.
“Just scholar, I think,” Tess said. “Why is the distinction important?”
Emme looked uncomfortable. “There’s talk amongst the high circles in town. My mom cleans their homes, and overhears, and she’s a gossip. Well, she doesn’t have many friends, but she talks to me, whether I want to hear it or not.”
This was the first Tess had heard of Emme’s real mom- Tess wondered if theirs was a distant relationship by the way Emme spoke.
“So, lately the talk is about a high scholar who’s disappeared from Turand. There’s been no ransom demands, but nor have they found a body. He was in line for principia, after the current one retires. There’s been quite the drama about it. Everyone has their theories, so I’m told, but no one seems to have the faintest idea what really happened to him. I think the only reason they’ve caught wind of it this far south is because the government has been quietly searching for him, all over Alitura, and word has gotten out.”
The information seemed to cast ripples across the group, looking back and forth to each other as if to assess the significance of this information. Rosie was the only member who kept her head down, a bitter frown on her face.
“What’s the chances that Loren could be referencing someone other than the high scholar?” Dray said. “It’s too great a coincidence.”
“But who could we tell?” Fish injected. “As Emme said, there’s theories out there already. Having this knowledge does nothing if we don’t have proof. And I, for one, don’t think Loren will back this story up, at least not in front of the law. As soon as we turn him over, he’ll have us arrested, or worse. Then where will we be?”
“It’s a piece of the puzzle, if nothing else,” Dray said, clearing his throat.
Tess felt like a dog with a bone. “Would it help if I told you where the lampreys are hiding him? Or, maybe not exactly where, but a general location at least.”
She had their attention now. “He mentioned a place called Green Springs.”
Several of them groaned in response. “That’s as common a name as they come, Tess,” Ashe said. “There must be a dozen little towns called Green Springs across Alitura.”
Tess’s euphoria fizzled, but she pushed on. “He said it’s weeks away, though. That must narrow it a bit.”
“It might cut them in half,” Dray acknowledged. “It’s still too little to go on.”
“He said something about not wanting to brave the mountains in the rainy season also. And this town has an Inn,” Tess added.
Ashe drummed the table. “You might actually have something there. If you’re talking about passing through the Misties, then you’d want to go to North Alitura. That only narrows it down a bit, but… the government put that road in a few years back, remember?” He glanced around the table for validation. “You know, it was supposed to increase land commerce between the northern mines and the farmlands in the south, for the central areas that can’t travel easily by boat up and down the coast. But not everyone really needed it, since so much of what we source is local, so they moved it west from their original plans, to better serve the needs of Turand.”
Dray had begun nodding. “You’re right, Ashe. It runs parallel to the west coast by, what, fifty miles? They cut through the gap in the mountains to do it, I think.”
Gowan chuckled. “I understand, now.”
Half of the group still wore blank expressions, but it was Tulla who prompted the explanation with a bereaved sigh and a look that said- get to the point.
“It’s a faster route to cut across the plains to the west, then take the pass road north if Green Springs is located anywhere on the north-western side of Alitura,” Dray concluded. “So we have to assume that if Loren thought he’d need to go through the mountains, he meant that it would be fastest to go directly north of here, rather than cut west to use the road. So, this Green Springs must be in the north-eastern portion of the country. Nice spot, Ashe.”
“Right,” Ashe said, his handsome face dimpling at the praise. “It also makes sense another way, too. It’s closer to the Isles. If the lampreys are working out of there as well, they’d want somewhere not too far away to keep the high scholar. At least, it’s a working theory.”
Tess considered. “And if you add in that it’s weeks away?”
“Eh,” Fish said, waving a hand dismissively. “Everything north of the mountains is that far away. You’d know that, being from Merktown, though, eh?”
He’d said it off-handedly, with no skepticism, but Tess paled at the mention of the town she’d lied at having come from. She’d needed a place to say she’d originated from when she’d appeared in Wharfton, and had selected a town on the map more or less a
t random to suit her purposes.
Tulla was watching for her reaction, like a shark circling the waters. Tess wondered why she’d chosen, so far, to keep Tess’s secret. She was uncertain if Tulla believed the story to begin with. Perhaps she was just biding her time, until Tess no longer seemed to serve a purpose for the group. Tess straightened, intending to return Tulla’s stare until Fish spoke again. “Now what? We’ll have to look at a map, but there’s a chance we’ve narrowed it to one or two towns with that name in the general area we’re considering. Still, though… even if it’s just one…”
The table sat silent. Then-
“We might be able to get more information from Loren,” Dray said. “Tess got this much. Perhaps we could glean the rest through other methods. Enough to go to the constable, and make a report.”
To the group’s surprise, Rosie snorted in disbelief, the first audible contribution she’d made since the beginning. She looked at Dray, her eyes bloodshot. “Please tell me you don’t believe anything would come of that. You’d go and make the report, and then what? You think he’ll just gather up all his men and then ride off to investigate? Rot, Dray, I thought you were smarter than that.” Bitterness laced her words, her emotions raw from the recent pain.
Softly, Dray spoke. “It’s not perfect, but it’s something.”
“It’s nothing!” Rosie slammed her palms on the table. “It’s nothing. It won’t get us anywhere. We had all those other men with Loren locked up, that very hour, and what happened? They were blurred by morning! If the law isn’t in on it, then they sure as snails have some men on the inside who are, and are willing to do the dirty work. You go to them with any of this, and all you’ve accomplished is more people blurred. More than likely all of us. How many more of us have to die before you see that? Was Russ not enough?” She swept her arms across the table, encompassing all of the group. “Maybe it’ll be Emme next. Or Fish. Or me. Who would you rather part with next, Dray- Tulla or Ashe?” Her lips trembled at the suggestion, but she held Dray’s gaze. “Best pick now, so we can know which lamb to offer to the slaughter when they come. Because they will. Come, that is.”
Her words were sharp, biting, like a wounded dog trying to keep all others at bay, refusing to accept that any might want to help. To look at her felt like she was imposing on another’s pain, so Tess lowered her eyes, out of respect.
A movement at the other side caught her eye- Dray, making a motion towards Rosie, as if to catch her hand in his own, but he was stilled by his mother’s palm on his arm. Tulla warned him off with a look before turning to Rosie. “What would you suggest, then? You get a vote here, Rosie.”
Rosie forced a shrug. “You don’t really want to know.”
“I do, though, dear. Truly. When stakes are this high, everyone gets a say.”
The table creaked as Rosie leaned forward. She rubbed a knuckle angrily against her cheek, wiping away a hot tear. “Fine. I say we pull whatever information we need from Loren to know exactly what Green Springs he meant. And then, we go and get the high scholar. We do it ourselves. Several of us go, and once we free him, we accompany him back to Turand so he can tell them the truth. The lampreys might be able to stop a few nobodies from Wharfton, but a high scholar? People would listen to him. He’d have the ear of the most powerful people in Alitura, including the King.”
An uncomfortable silence settled amongst them as they all grappled with Rosie’s idea. Tess could see that no one wanted to be the one to disagree with her. Rosie was like a ticking time bomb, with each member of the group worried that they’d be the one to set the fuse.
To her surprise, it was Gowan who shifted position, reaching next to him to grasp Rosie’s hand in his own. To her even greater surprise, Rosie didn’t immediately pull away.
“Rosie, I’ve known you since you were a child,” he said simply. “And I’ve always admired your spirit. But what you are proposing is a very dangerous idea,” Gowan offered. “There are too many unknowns to even begin to believe it would work.”
Rosie frowned at him. “There will never be an option that is guaranteed to prevail. I’m only offering what I think is our best chance.”
Gowan gently released her hand. “I know this isn’t going to be a popular opinion at the table, but given the current climate, has anyone considered that there is something to be said for turning Loren over to the authorities, or if you must, killing him, and then… well, just keeping your heads down for a bit? Wait, just hear me out-” he said, as angry outbursts erupted around the table. “From what I gather, the increased scrutiny towards your group was led by Loren, who had become suspicious of your poking around. He’s been gone for weeks, and for all his goons aboard the Blackbirder know, he’s dead.”
“You can’t know that,” Tulla countered. “The men who were taken into custody from the fight that day were blurred, but we can’t know what information they gave up to the lampreys before then. If Loren is important enough to know the location of a kidnapped high scholar, provided he wasn’t lying about it and playing Tess for a fool, then he’s important enough for people to come looking for.”
“Fine,” Gowan allowed. “But if the ‘lampreys’, as you call them, suspect otherwise, they’re keeping a fairly low profile, which means they don’t know enough to be comfortable coming at you directly. Which brings me to my main point. I loathe the idea of killing any person without a fair trial, but I can see how releasing Loren back to the authorities would only increase the likelihood of you all again becoming targets. Disposing of him quietly would be your best chance. And then, let that be that.”
He leveled his gaze at Tulla. “I know you’ve all suffered tremendous losses. And I will regret not believing you earlier for the rest of my life. But throwing yourself at these people over and over again will only compound the loss, not alleviate it. More of you will die, or be blurred. There aren’t many of you to begin with. You are hopelessly outmanned. You cannot win this fight.”
Gowan sat back, depleted from his speech. He sighed. “There is no perfect answer here, much as you want one. The best ending you can hope for is survival.”
He stood then, moving around the table and placing his hands on the back of his chair. “I don’t belong here, I know that. I came for Tess, and I’ll advise her as I’ve advised all of you, to let go of this vendetta before it destroys you all. Though, regardless of what you decide, I’ll keep your secret. I owe that to Tulla. And I’ll leave now, before you ask me to. I don’t want to know more information than I already do about your plans. In case they do come looking…”
Tess felt the truth of his words, though she knew it would matter little to this group. And though she cared for them all, she found herself calling after Gowan to wait. She rose as well. “I’ve told you all everything I learned from Loren. I hope it’s helpful in some way.”
“Have you?” Rosie said, her voice laced with acid. She glared up at Tess. “We’re supposed to just take you at your word? Just like we’re supposed to believe that Loren just volunteered all of this up during some pre-waking state?”
Tess shrugged, pushing down the hurt. “Believe what you want.”
She avoided eye contact with the rest of them, worried that a look of hurt from Dray or Emme might force her to stay. Gowan stood by the door, opening it for her.
They spent the cold, short walk back to the Muddy Gull in silence. Tess found her way to the stool behind the counter and sat, burying her face in her palms. A few moments later, Gowan reemerged from the back with tea, placing a cup in front of Tess.
She muttered thanks. “We can open the shop now. I’m ready.”
“In a moment.” He took a sip from his cup.
Tess remembered a question. “Who are the high scholars?”
“Ah. There are ten of them. They serve the realm as keepers of knowledge, maintaining the great libraries of Turand and reporting directly to the King.”
“And Turand is the capital of Alitura, then?”
“It
is where the monarchy and the main government is located, if that’s what you mean.”
“Why would someone want to kidnap one of them?” Tess asked, switching back to the previous topic.
“There are two obvious answers that come to mind,” Gowan mused.
“Ransom, obviously. Though there haven’t been any demands, or so Emme’s mother hears.”
“Right.” Gowan tilted his head. “Which leaves the other option.”
Tess dug at a hangnail in her thumb, thinking. “Well, I guess if I needed knowledge on a particular subject…though, wouldn’t I just ask? I mean, isn’t that their job, to give this information out?”
Gowan smacked at her hand, and she reluctantly stopped picking. “Yes, generally librarians are happy to dispense information,” he allowed. “Though there is of course the odd tidbit, or perhaps entire troves of information, that are guarded, kept secret.”
“But why?” Tess countered.
“Don’t be daft, child. There are a thousand reasons to keep information secret. I’m sure you’re smart enough to come up with a few.”
“Oh, fine,” Tess conceded.
“My turn.” Gowan said. “Did you really get this information from Loren the way you told the group?”
“Eh,” Tess said. “More or less.”
“That doesn’t count as an answer.”
“I know.”
Gowan shook his head, but let it go. He picked up his empty cup. “S’pose we can open now.” Then, almost absently- “I’m surprised you left with me.”
Tess paused. “Me too.”
Gowan harrumphed and walked to the front door, unlocking it. On another day, Tess might have let it go, but something about Gowan’s manner, so unassuming and kind, caught her breath in her throat.
“You’re my family,” she blurted out, feeling the truth of the words as they emerged.
