by Terry Schott
"I won’t be going with you to the Keeper, idiot."
‘Do you know the reward for information leading to the solving of this crime?"
"Everyone knows."
"Then what’s your problem? We work together and you get a portion of the reward."
"Portion?"
"Sixty gold coins."
"The reward is two hundred."
"Of which you will receive sixty."
"You are mad."
"Fine." Leo stood up. "You can have zero, then. This wasn’t my idea anyway, but now I can at least say I tried. It’s on you now." He pushed his chair in and started to stroll away.
"Wait."
Leo turned.
"Come back here."
Leo returned to the table, sat down, took another bite of tart, and looked at Alexander.
"I want more."
Leo shook his head. "You don’t like me. That is obvious."
"I had Hector lay the beatings on you."
Leo cocked his head and narrowed his eyes.
"He offered to do it for free when I asked him." Alexander smiled. "But I wanted to pay him. I wish he had killed you, like the one that used to come before you."
Leo smirked and then shrugged. "I will approach the Keeper first. I expect he will not believe me, and then I will say you witnessed the event as well. Expect him to speak with you soon after."
Alexander shook his head. "Didn’t you hear me?"
"Of course. Did you hear me?"
"You are insane."
"Listen, you had no choice when your father brought me to the bakery. Hiring Hector was an attempt at control over your destiny, but it failed. You want control over your life? I offer you a choice in this matter." Leo smiled and held up two fingers. "Do this and earn sixty gold. Refuse and die." He shrugged and popped the last bit of tart into his mouth. "When I entered this shop, I didn’t care either way. Now I hope you choose the second option."
Alexander shook his head and sighed. "I will need to think about this."
"Why does that not surprise me." Leo stood and slapped Alexander on the back. "That’s the main difference between us, I think. You take too much time to deliberate over simple decisions. Cooperate and live, or don’t." He shrugged. "That is the question before us. For me, the choice is easy. I’ll meet you here tomorrow. Same time, same table. If you agree, then you will show up and we move forward with the plan. If not"—Leo’s grin was chilling—"I’ll ask to kill you myself."
"I’m not sure I will be here tomorrow." Alexander tried to sound confident, but his voice shook.
Leo sauntered away, holding two fingers up in the air. "I hope you aren’t."
21
Riley walked the streets and alleys, circling back and forth in what, to an observer, would appear to be random patterns, but which allowed him to cross his route so that any followers would be discovered. After an hour of careful manoeuvring, the Keeper entered another narrow alley and approached the third door on the right. He rapped twice, paused for the space of two heartbeats, then rapped three times more. He turned the handle and entered the small single-room dwelling with a cooking fire against one wall and small couches against the other. Lord Argon smiled and stood to hug his son.
"It is good to see you again. Do you want something to eat?"
"Yes. Whatever it is smells delicious."
Argon moved to the fire and filled two wooden bowls with stew. The men sat down and began to eat.
"It is delicious."
"Cooked it myself. A recipe from a man I knew in the Pits. He was from a faraway land. The spices are very expensive to acquire."
They finished their stew and Argon poured two glasses of dark red ale. He took a long drink and wiped the back of his mouth with one hand. "The trial went perfectly, I am told."
"Yes. Your young lion was very convincing, as was the baker’s boy."
"The sentence was passed?"
"Death for Triax and his co-conspirators, to be carried out tomorrow."
"Is there danger that word will get back to him?"
"It is not likely. Only members of the Council and the two witnesses were present for the trial."
"Members who may report to Triax."
"Only one, and he is being watched closely. Bertrand will have him apprehended and executed before he can make it to Triax."
Argon nodded and leaned back. "I see the exits are all covered with Keeper guards anyway. Triax is not a stupid man. He will resist."
"Of course he will, for all the good it will do him."
"It will make my task easier once the Keepers have done their work."
"I won’t be able to assist with that, Father."
"I know. There is much you must avoid in order for our relationship to remain hidden to the Council of Law."
"It is a difficult thing to keep hidden at times."
Argon refilled his glass. "Be glad that Bertrand is there for support. Without his knowledge and protection it would be impossible to hide amongst the flock of sheep."
"Do you have others in the Keepers besides myself and Bertrand?"
Lord Argon frowned. "It would not be wise to tell you if I did."
"I know, but someone approached me the other day with the secret words. Man by the name of Cassius. He is a new Keeper."
"What did you do when he said the words?"
"Let them pass by as if I didn’t understand them."
"Good. I’m not aware of a man named Cassius."
"Shall I inform Bertrand?"
"Not yet." Argon gathered the bowls and carried them to a small counter. "I will investigate this man myself from the outside so that the two of you are not exposed."
"If he persists in bothering me, I will make him go away."
"That wouldn’t be wise at the moment, son. One dead Keeper in this area is quite enough attention for now. If another dies, there is no telling how angry the Council of Law will become. No sense in kicking the hornet’s nest when it is ready to go back to a peaceful slumber." Argon returned to his seat. "I will find out what I can and, if he continues to bother you, I will instruct Bertrand to send him to a faraway territory."
"How is it possible someone knows the words?"
"I don’t know, but it is time to change them." Argon leaned back and rested his arm on the couch. "Is there anything you need for yourself?"
Riley shook his head. "Life is simple for me at the moment and the Keepers pay their men and women well."
"Good. Are there any women in your life?"
"Nothing long-term."
Argon nodded and stood. Riley did the same and the two men embraced.
"The Keepers will move in to take Triax at sundown tomorrow."
"Good. We will be ready to move in as soon as they leave."
"Be safe tomorrow, Father, and congratulations on your new acquisition."
"Thank you, Riley. Your contributions help the family to prosper. Hunt well."
"Hunt well, Father."
22
Bertrand marched toward the mouth of the alley with twenty armed guards at his back and the unit lieutenant at his right side. The setting sun caused the shadow of his robes to billow on the ground in front of him as he walked.
Bertrand came to a stop at the alley edge, his face barely visible beneath the soft, blood-red leather of his full-length robe. A Keeper stationed to guard the exit saluted Bertrand, holding it until the older man returned the gesture.
"Any activity to report?"
"None on this front, sir." The younger man half turned to look into the growing shadows of the alley. "There were a few attempts to escape on other streets, but nothing here."
Bertrand nodded to his lieutenant who raised one hand and the guards moved to form a semi-circle around the Councilman. Each guard was dressed in grey chain mail with a longsword strapped to his back and peeking over one shoulder, as well as a sixteen-inch-long blade hanging from each hip. Bertrand inspected the men and nodded, touching the hilts of the same kni
ves on his hips. He had served in one of these elite units when he was younger. The short blades would be the weapons of choice in the close quarters they were about to enter, and the guards were efficient killing machines with them. Bertrand’s eyes looked past his men to watch as ten more units approached.
"Lieutenant."
"Yes, sir."
Bertrand nodded at the lieutenant, his most loyal soldier for more than a decade. "Your unit will enter the alley in front of me. Two more will follow behind. You will command the military operations, should the need arise."
The lieutenant saluted. "Yes, sir."
The remaining units approached and stopped in formation. Bertrand gave the command and they advanced to find Triax.
They moved through the alley, stopping at each doorway and sweeping every building to ensure no danger was present. It took them an hour to make their way to Triax’s headquarters. Small bands of ragged men, no doubt belonging to Triax, ran at the units seven times during the advance. The Soldiers of Law were the best-trained soldiers in the country, and brushed the attacks aside without a single casualty.
When they reached the small black building at the end of the alley, the units gathered in formation again.
"My unit will secure the interior." Bertrand stepped forward, pushing the red leather robe back at the hips and drawing his long knives, reversing the grips so that the jewelled hilts faced up and the blades pointed backward.
He stopped at the entrance and raised his right hand in front of his face, mumbling a few strange words. A spider-like pattern of glowing gold appeared on the wooden door. He nodded and twisted his hand, making a counter-clockwise motion as he made two guttural sounds. The golden web faded like mist. Bertrand closed his eyes and placed a palm very close to the door, moving it up and then down before opening his eyes and reaching to touch the handle. It opened without incident and he entered the darkness.
A few steps inside, Bertrand sensed motion. He leaned back and knew that a blade had passed through the space where his head had been a second ago. With one smooth sideways stab, he thrust right at chest height, grinning as he felt his blade slide into flesh.
"For the Light!" He closed his eyes, knowing his men would do the same. Then he spoke a single word of magic and a blinding flash of light banished the darkness. Screams filled the building as the enemy was blinded.
Bertrand opened his eyes. A dim glow of light—residue from the magic he had cast—filled the rooms. Alley rats and thugs were scattered throughout, all rubbing their eyes. Bertrand waved one dagger and his men moved in.
In minutes, the enemy were subdued.
Bertrand moved to the main hall. The lieutenant instructed men to light the torches while Bertrand sat on the main chair raised above the rest. "Have you found, Triax, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, sir."
"Bring him forward."
A man was dragged into the centre of the room and forced to his knees. He was of average height and weight with shaggy brown hair and a thin mustache and goatee. He was dressed in black leather pants and jerkin, the sleeves cut off to reveal muscled arms which were covered from shoulder to fingertips with black tattoos. He glared up at Bertrand, one of his eyes swollen shut from a blow to the head.
"Triax." Bertrand’s tone deepened, making his delivery of the words sound formal. "You have been accused and found guilty of killing a Keeper of the Law. The penalty for this crime is death."
"I didn’t do it." Triax spat onto the ground.
Bertrand shook his head. "I do not need to hear from you, Triax. Your trial was already convened."
Triax laughed and glared at the Councilman. "You will miss me when I am gone. This territory will go to hell without me. You just wait and see."
"How foolish to believe this world will miss any of us when we are gone." Bertrand nodded and the lieutenant moved to stand behind Triax.
At a signal from his commander, the lieutenant drew his longsword and, with one smooth motion, beheaded the alley lord.
"Justice is served." Bertrand smiled.
23
Lord Argon, five captains, and Leo and his group stood on a rooftop and watched Bertrand exit the alley. Argon held out one hand and Lissandra emerged from the darkness, drifting forward and stopping beside him to rest her hand on his. "All is ready, my wolf."
Argon smiled and tilted his head at one of the captains, who lowered a large sack to the gravel surface of the roof and opened it to reveal the contents. The sack was filled with hundreds of identical small, tear shaped clay pots, each one three inches at the widest part with silver and black runes painted onto their surface.
"Are you certain this is how you want it done?" The mock concern in Lissandra’s voice did not match the hungry grin on her face.
"Want has nothing to do with it. This is how it must be." Argon turned and looked at those assembled. "The people below us are of another alley and therefore loyal to other families."
Everyone nodded.
"Even one child can grow into a powerful enemy." Argon pointed at Leo. "Look what one of our own has become. This is the way of the alleys. When a lord falls, his protection disappears and those beneath him are lost."
"This is the way of the alleys," the others replied.
Argon pointed at the small pots. "I do not enjoy cutting children down. Lissandra has provided us with a different way to do what must be done." He looked at his men and stroked his beard. "It is not pretty."
"There is no pleasant way to accomplish the task before us, Lord," one of the captains said.
"Just so." Argon nodded. "Give the signal and let’s be about our business."
Leo looked towards the alley exit on the ground below and saw men—Argon’s men—pushing boards and large wheels into place to block them. Triax was freshly dead and word would soon spread throughout his territory. In less than an hour, the majority of alley dwellers would be leaving or preparing to defend themselves from an attack that would come from some neighbouring alley lord or another. Argon had been favoured in this matter and the advantage of surprise was his alone.
One of the captains removed a small tube and lit a black fuse attached to its base which cracked and sizzled as he held the tube aloft. The fuse burned down and made contact with the flash powder.
A burst of white light flew skywards and exploded, causing a sparkling shower of white and silver to light the area below. A moment later, the rooftops around them burst with the same display of lights.
Argon nodded and everyone moved to grab clay pots from the sack. "Not so many that you drop one," Lissandra warned. "Come back for more instead of trying to carry too many at once."
Leo grabbed five of the small pots. They were warm to the touch. He walked to the side of the roof and joined the others as they began to throw the small pots into the alley below. The clay broke with tiny cracking noises followed by a hiss. People on the ground began to scream and cough as the gas surrounded them.
"Get more quickly," Lissandra hissed. "Don’t dawdle until they are all thrown."
It took less than five minutes for them to throw all of the pots to the ground. One captain took a dozen and dropped them into the chimneys so that they broke inside the building below.
Leo and his friends threw the last of the pots and remained at the edge to watch. Brownish orange mist floated in the corridors. The screaming had stopped almost as abruptly as it had begun before they were finished throwing the pots. The only sound they could hear was the ominous hissing.
Lord Argon came to stand beside Leo. "This is the unpleasant part of leading, Leo."
"But necessary."
Argon looked at the boy and raised one eyebrow at what he saw. "You do not appear overly upset."
"Mouse tells me that Triax was attempting to overthrow you, Lord. If he had been successful, it would be my body in the streets below. I prefer this."
"Indeed." Lissandra appeared between the two of them and put one hand on each man’s arm. "It is done, my wolf."
Her laughter was soft and sultry. "No."
"When will it be safe to enter the alleys?"
"By morning’s light."
Argon looked at one of his captains. "Guard the exits just to make certain no one escapes."
The captain nodded.
Argon smiled. "Then let us go celebrate our expanded territory."
24
Leo placed the coins on the table and, instead of stepping back as usual, he remained close to the money.
Argon laughed and rose from his throne. He sat down at the end of the table near the stack of coins and motioned for Leo to sit across from him. "Do you know the day of your birth?"
"I do not, Lord."
Argon pointed to the coins. "I see two stacks before me." He tapped the forty gold coins—Argon’s percentage of the reward given by the Keepers—and then he straightened the smaller pile of silver coins.
"I would like to propose a business partnership using the larger one, Lord."
"I am listening."
Leo reached forward and pushed the gold coins closer to Lord Argon. "I imagine that these will be thrown onto one of your piles of treasure in some secret and protected room, barely making a sound as they join their brothers and sisters in a vast sea of gold."
Argon tilted his head back and laughed. "I did not take you for a poet, little lion, but yes, your description is accurate. Although this stack of gold is more than most will see in a lifetime, it is a tiny sum to me. You want to keep them and put them to better use?"
"I do. I will keep it in circulation, putting it to work so that it may grow and multiply many times before it returns to you."
Lord Argon reached down and drew an ornate black dagger from his boot. He placed it on the table in front of Leo. "We are of similar ilk, you and I. Many call me the dark wolf, and it has been clear since the first day I lay eyes on you that you are a lion."
Leo smiled.
"Predators often get bored of eating sheep and look to challenge each other when living too close together." Lord Argon’s eyes narrowed and he raised his chin. "Predators in my ranks present a unique challenge, Leo. Their presence is necessary for me to expand and prosper, but their aggressive tendencies also tend to result in trouble. When I groom young ones, I must watch for the moment when they will challenge my authority. There inevitably comes a time when I must eliminate those whom I have so carefully cultivated in order to remain lord."
