by Ian Irvine
“I’ve got to know if Grandys is ahead. If he is, I’ll try and stop him.”
“Assuming you can catch him. You might have to ride all the way to Garramide, and even on a fast horse that’s probably at least five days in good weather. Got enough supplies?”
“Yes.”
“What about horse feed? You won’t find much good grass in the mountains at this time of year.”
“I’ll take a spare horse, just in case. It can carry a couple of bags of oats.”
“What do you want me to do?” said Jackery.
Rix thought for a moment. “If I don’t come back, you’ll know Grandys is ahead and I’m after him.”
“Or he’s killed you.”
After a long pause, Rix said, “Yes—there’s a good possibility he will, especially if he discovers I’m behind him and sets up an ambush. But if I don’t come back it doesn’t change much—his army will be following as fast as they can march. Grandys’ hoard will be well hidden and it could take me days to find it. I can’t do that with an army besieging Garramide—it can’t hold out for more than a day or two.”
“Then you need me to defend the three passes,” said Jackery, “and delay the enemy as long as possible.”
“It’ll be a bloody business,” said Rix. “No, it’s too much. I can’t ask it.”
“Ask what?” Jackery responded coolly.
“Ask my men to die in their hundreds to make time for me, while I ride away. You’ll have to go.”
“What, to Garramide?”
“Yes. I’ll give you a note to the castellan—whoever that is now…”
Rix’s old castellan, Swelt, had been killed by the mutineers months ago, after which Rix had left for the peace conference at Glimmering. He had not been back, though the chancellor had taken refuge at Garramide for several weeks after the fiasco at Glimmering. Rix had no idea what changes he had made, or who was in charge now.
“No,” said Jackery.
“Are you disobeying a direct order?”
“I guess I am. What’s the point in sending me to Garramide when I don’t know the place? Why would your people listen to me, even if I have your note? And if Grandys is ahead, he’ll kill me a lot easier than he will you.”
“Good men are going to die defending the three passes,” said Rix. “I don’t feel that I can order them to sacrifice their lives when I’m not there to lead them. Especially not you.”
“The passes have to be defended,” said Jackery stiffly. “And you’ve got to get to Garramide first. No one else can do it.”
“But still—”
“You’re not ordering me, anyway. I’m volunteering.” Jackery’s eyes flashed fire. “And frankly, Deadhand, I’m insulted that you’re trying to shield me from doing my duty. I’m staying and you’re going, so get on your bloody horse and piss off before I’m tempted to punch my commanding officer in the mouth.”
They faced each other, fists clenched.
“I mean it,” said Jackery.
Rix let out his breath in a rush. “You’re a good man, Jackery.”
“Damn right I am. And you’re running late, so bugger off.”
“The longer you can hold Grandys up the better,” said Rix. “But don’t fight to the bitter end at each pass. Don’t waste lives if it’s only going to gain me a few minutes.”
“Don’t tell me how to do my job,” said Jackery.
Rix said goodbye to his other officers and his men, collected a second horse from the stables and roped on the bags of oats. He wheeled his mounts and galloped off. Behind him, Jackery began shouting orders.
Rix did not look back.
He raced along the eastern road, heading for the track to Garramide at the fastest pace his mount could maintain. He was a heavy burden for a horse, riding uphill and, even with a spare, he could not afford to injure it.
“On the other hand,” he said aloud, “Grandys has got to be three stone heavier than me. That’s a huge weight for any nag to carry.”
His horse lifted its ears as if it agreed.
He rode for several hours without seeing any hoofmarks. The path was stony here and had been washed clean by a recent rain shower, probably yesterday, so any more recent tracks would show.
There were none, and he felt sure that Grandys was not ahead of him, but he recalled that several other paths joined this one before it became a single route up into the mountains. Rix kept going. He had to make sure.
Half an hour later, a path joined his from the left. It was unmarked. Twenty minutes later another path entered from the left, also unmarked. Was it the last? Rix could not remember. He had only taken this road twice and the last time had been months ago.
He continued for another hour, climbing steeply now but still seeing no tracks. He was about to turn back when he noted a track winding up from his right, to join his path a couple of hundred yards ahead. He cantered up to it.
The road was wet from seepage and the ground was softer. Soft enough to show deep, widely-spaced hoofmarks. A heavy rider on a big horse.
It had to be Grandys.
CHAPTER 52
There came a thumping sound, followed by a smash-crash as if stone had been broken and fallen onto a hard floor. Tali could not tell where it had come from—sound travelled oddly underground.
“That must be Lyf’s troops breaking in,” said Glynnie.
“We can’t wait any longer. I’ll have to risk my gift.”
Though the way things had gone lately, even if Tali did succeed, she would be lucky to stay on her feet afterwards.
“It could kill you,” said Glynnie.
“It’d be better than falling into Grandys’ hands.”
Tali was reaching within herself, trying to find the gentlest way to draw the magery she needed, when there was a rustling sound outside the door and the bolt was drawn back. She thrust out her hand, prepared to kill.
“No!” cried Glynnie, knocking her arm aside, then hurled herself at the small figure standing there. “Benn!”
He held onto her for a few seconds, tears streaming down his face. “Sis!” he whispered. “Sis, after you went down that drain I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I was sure… sure… They were after us, Benn. They were everywhere. Rix and I, we couldn’t get back.”
He pulled free. His eyes were huge, his skin pale and clammy. “Quick! They’re coming.”
He took Glynnie’s hand, hauled her out the door and ran, stumbling a little. Tali followed. At the end of the corridor he turned left into a small room whose door was open. He closed it and darted to the far side, where he worked a hidden mechanism. A hatch in the floor popped open.
“Go down!” said Benn.
Glynnie hesitated and Tali did too. It was utterly dark down there.
“Jump in, quick!” said Benn, his voice thick with fear. “It’s only six feet.”
Glynnie jumped—a hollow thud. Tali gave her a few seconds to move out of the way and followed. As she fell in the dark, it seemed like a lot more than six feet. She scrambled aside and her hand landed on something small, furry and pulpy, with a disgusting smell. A rotting rat corpse? She choked back a yelp.
The light was blocked as Benn fell through, pulling the hatch shut behind him. It became absolutely dark. Tali could smell sweat, fear and lots of putrid rats.
“Take my hand, Sis,” he said, his voice even higher than normal. “T-Tali, hold onto Glynnie. Come on, come on.”
Tali groped for Glynnie’s hand. Blurred noises reverberated down through the rock. It might have been Lyf’s commandoes storming up the corridor. Fear speared through her. They were lost in the dark with only a small boy to help them. How could they get away when their hunters were so close?
“Are you sure you know the way?” said Glynnie.
“Spent months down here,” Benn said scornfully.
Glynnie jerked on Tali’s hand. She stumbled forward. It was so dark that not even her Cython-bred senses could help her. She reac
hed out with her free hand. There was rough rock to either side, less than a foot away, and more rough rock only a few inches above her head. This passage had been made for small folk.
They stopped. Judging by the faint scraping sound, Benn was opening a door. They went through and Tali cracked her forehead on the roof. It was even lower here; she had to walk with her head bent. Benn closed the door.
“Oh, Benn, thank heavens I’ve found you,” said Glynnie, her voice trembling with emotion.
“Not now, Sis!” he hissed. “Don’t make a sound.”
Tali heard Glynnie’s sharp intake of breath. They followed a convoluted path, often dropping into narrow holes or crawling down passages only two feet high. The air grew increasingly hot and stale. There was not a breath of circulation. And without circulation there were liable to be pools of heavy air which would suffocate them without their ever realising it. They would grow sleepy, lie down and never wake…
Tali fought to dismiss the thought. Benn wasn’t any ordinary small boy—he had survived in Caulderon for months, and she had to trust that he knew what he was doing.
The muffled sounds continued behind them, sometimes loud, sometimes faint. Sometimes they would die away for a while, but they always returned. Lyf’s troops would never give up.
Benn stopped so suddenly that Glynnie and Tali ran into him.
“They’re still behind us,” he said. “They must be tracking us, somehow. I don’t understand how they’re doing it.”
Tali went cold inside. She had been about to use magery when Benn appeared, and she hadn’t closed her gift off. She did so. It hurt.
“I’m sorry, it’s me. They’ve been tracking the call of the master pearl. I’ve closed it off now.”
Benn said a word no ten-year-old boy should have known. “How could you be so stupid?”
“Hush, Benn!” said Glynnie. “Tali risked her life to save me. They were just about to hang me on Murderers’ Mound, and when she used her magery to save me, it hurt her bad.”
“Hang you?” he cried, and suddenly he was a little boy again, lost and desperate for comfort.
Clothes rustled, as if he was hugging his sister. They hurried on and, after another ten or fifteen minutes, emerged from a drain into a stinking alley. It was late in the afternoon. The air reeked of smoke and the light had a yellow-brown tinge.
“We’re in Tumbrel Town,” said Benn. “Keep your head down, Tali.”
“I’d be better off with a hat.”
He darted up the alley, shortly returning with two pilfered, baggy hats. Tali put hers on and pulled it down to her eyebrows. It smelled like a drain. They pushed into the crowd. They were so dirty and dusty now that they looked like all the other slum dwellers. Everyone was talking about Grandys’ ferocious attack on the temple, and the Resistance’s revolt. Tali could hear the distant sounds of warfare.
“Who’s that fighting? Is it Grandys?” Benn said to a passer-by, an aged veteran with only half a nose.
“Don’t know, don’t care,” he whined. “I hope they all kill each other.” He slouched away.
“If the revolt fails,” said Tali, “Lyf’s troops will take bloody revenge on the rebel-held areas.”
“And come looking for you,” said Glynnie.
“For us. You and Benn are in almost as much danger. We’ve got to get out of Caulderon right away.”
They made their way diagonally across the great city. Buildings were burning all over the place and several times, as they crossed a broader thoroughfare, they saw dead soldiers, Herovian and Cythonian, lying where they had fallen.
As they reached a corner, Tali heard an angry muttering which rose and fell. It was almost dark now. A series of bright torches appeared out of the smoky gloom and a group of people came stumbling by, laden with chains and driven by Cythonians with whips and chuck-lashes.
Tali drew Glynnie and Benn back. “Turn away. Don’t let them see your faces,” she said quietly.
They turned away.
“Who are they?” said Glynnie.
“I saw Dillible and several others I recognised,” said Tali. “I’d say the rebellion has failed and they’re taking the rebels they’ve caught for execution.”
Tali pulled her hat down another half inch, making sure none of the rebels could get a good look at her and betray her out of spite. The death march passed by. The light faded and suddenly it was night.
“How are we going to get out?” said Glynnie.
“The way we entered,” said Tali. “Via the lake.”
As they approached the northern lakeshore, klaxons sounded all across the city.
“What’s that?” Glynnie whispered.
“Curfew in fifteen minutes,” said Benn. “Anyone caught on the streets after curfew will be killed on the spot.” He shivered. “Seen it done.”
Hundreds of fishing boats were drawn up along the muddy shore and fishermen were gathered nearby, watching their property and mending their nets. Tali plodded along until she found a suitable boat, and a fisherman who looked hungry for coin. She palmed gold out of the little bag she had stolen from Lirriam.
“We need a ride across to Reffering,” she said to the fisherman, though that was not her real destination.
“Not even for a silver lorm,” he said.
She opened her hand. A large disc of gold gleamed there, enough to buy half a dozen boats like his. “How about this?”
He took the gold, tested it with his teeth, and said, “Get in. I’ll grab my gear.”
“I’ll come with you,” said Tali.
“It’s not necessary.”
“Neither is your death, but I’m prepared to make an exception if you’re thinking of betraying us.”
He stared at her, weighing her up.
Tali raised her hand and pointed it at his throat. “I know how to kill with magery, and I also know how to sail. I don’t need you.”
His eyes darted back and forth. She could see him weighing the risk—whether to betray her and keep her gold, or to do what she said.
“You won’t be the first to die at my hands,” said Tali.
It was taking all her strength to hold her hand steady, and if he went for her she wasn’t sure she would be able to defend herself in time. She tried to project an air of overwhelming confidence.
“You’re the Pale who escaped from Cython!”
“Yes, I am,” said Tali. “So you know I mean what I say.”
He shivered and gestured her towards the boat.
“After you,” said Tali.
Glynnie and Benn were sitting side by side, their arms around each other. They had handed over responsibility to Tali and were totally absorbed in one another.
When the boat was half a mile out, heading west and invisible in the nightly lake mist, Tali said, “I’ve changed my mind. Take us east to Grume.”
“That’ll be an extra fee.”
“It’s only a third of the distance.”
“If you’d said Grume in the first place I’d have charged more.”
“As I mentioned, I know how to sail. It’ll only take me thirty seconds to kill you and heave you over the side.”
He tried to stare her down, but failed, and with a muttered curse he turned east.
He gave them no more trouble and, half an hour later, landed them on the jetty at the small town of Grume. It was dark and there was no one about. When he had gone they went into Grume, where Tali bought the only horse available for sale, again paying far more than it was worth, and all the supplies that were to be had. It was a miserable amount of food for three people, but she thought it would do.
The horse was a big, ugly brute, but it looked strong and that was all she cared about. Glynnie climbed into the saddle. Tali helped Benn up in front and mounted behind Glynnie. Benn clung to the saddle horn, looking more afraid than he had at any time in Caulderon, and they rode out.
“Where are we going?” said Glynnie. “Are—are we going to find Rix?”
“I d
on’t know where he is and I can’t afford to go looking for him,” said Tali. “Not with Grandys and Lyf both hunting me. Besides, Grandys has Holm, so it’ll only be a matter of time before he knows about the circlet. And once he does, he’ll go after it. I’ve got to beat him to it.”
“Does that mean—?”
“We’re riding for Garramide, as fast as we possibly can.” She tapped Benn on the shoulder. “How did you come to be lost when Rix and Glynnie escaped?”
Benn let out a little squawk of dismay.
“What’s the matter?” said Tali.
“I’ll get into trouble.”
“I think we’re way past that,” said Glynnie, hugging him so tightly that he let out a little grunt.
“I disobeyed orders,” said Benn. “When Sis and Rix swam down the drain and Rix didn’t come straight back, I was really scared. I walked up the drain to the corner but two of the enemy saw me and I had to run for it. I ran the other way, so I wouldn’t lead them to Rix.”
“Stupid boy,” said Glynnie, without rancour.
“I was sure they were going to kill me, but they took me hostage. They wanted to use me to trap Rix. Why didn’t you come back, Sis?”
“Rix did come back, but you weren’t there and they must have wiped away your tracks—he couldn’t tell what had happened to you. Not long afterwards we were attacked on the lake, and nearly killed, and then the enemy were everywhere. We couldn’t get back to look for you. Oh, Benn,” she said, hugging him again. “I’ve been sick with guilt for leaving you.”
He wriggled free. Tali smiled to herself. Had the light been good enough, she felt sure Benn would have been blushing.
“What happened to you after that, Benn?” said Tali.
“They took me…” He gulped. “They took me to Lyf himself. That was really scary.”
“What did he want?”
“He asked lots of questions about Rix. And about you, too. I tried… I really tried not to tell him anything, but Lyf always knew when I was telling a lie. He got real angry.”
“He’s a mighty king,” said Tali. “Powerful adults can’t resist him, so how could you be expected to? What happened then?”
“He let me go.”
