by Bob Blink
“What about the spare magazines?”
“I’ve got them in the coat pocket. So far I haven’t decided on a better way, but I think I’m going to give at least one of them back to you to store. If something comes up that requires all of the shots we have, we are already dead I think.”
“I like it,” Jolan answered as they approached the tavern, not mentioning he had considered something similar. Once again Asari had shown his initiative and sound thinking.
Ashreye, Asari’s lust interest, was working tonight, and Jolan thought he detected a bit of logistical rearrangement between the other serving girls that allowed her to work their table. As usual the place was doing an impressive amount of business, and they’d had to take whatever table was available. Drinks came without their having to order. They were almost regulars, and their selections well known to the staff. Ashreye thunked the large tankards down in front of them, the intriguing valley between generous mounds of smooth and tanned young breasts on display as she reached over to do so. Jolan had to admit to a bit of stirring himself as he enjoyed the view along with his younger friend.
“Good evening Ashreye,” Jolan said to the sexy young woman.
She smiled and nodded, but her eyes were on Asari. They seemed to communicate without words.
Through the meal the girl managed to find reasons to be close to Asari; a hand on the shoulder, a breast against his arm, a look down the blouse. It made for an interesting show that kept his mind off the intolerable waiting that seemed never to end. Would Asari’s uncle ever get back?
“Tonight the night?” Jolan finally asked his friend when Ashreye slipped away after a bit of hand touching.
Asari nodded with an embarrassed grin. “I asked her while you were in the other room. It’s all set. You don’t mind do you?”
Asari would be bringing her back to his room in the inn. Jolan suspected he would hear some of their antics as the night wore on, but that was okay.
“How come you don’t find someone. Sindra has expressed a certain interest. Ashreye told me so the other day.”
He had to admit the idea had merit. Sindra was an attractive blond with a superb figure. She was as generously endowed as Ashreye and just the thought of sliding his hands along the smooth skin of that body was giving him an erection.
“Not yet,” he said wondering why he was being so ridiculous.
“Is it that girl back on Earth? Are you still thinking of her?”
Sharon. Damn! He was ashamed to admit he hadn’t thought about her at all. Not for a long time. That was really revealing, but he was disappointed by his lapse. The last time he’d seen her she was still under whatever spell Cheurt had used on her. Who knew what was happening to her at the moment. Thinking of Sharon made him wonder if Cheurt was back on Earth yet, and whether he had discovered that Randy was no longer around.
“It’s not that,” he finally answered truthfully. “I’m just too tense with all this waiting.”
“Sindra would wring any tenseness out of you,” Asari said with a lewd grin. This was the young man whose first time was barely two months ago?
“Maybe next time,” Jolan answered, but his mind was back on Earth thinking about Cheurt.
* * * *
Ashreye and Asari certainly didn’t lack for enthusiasm and stamina Jolan thought with a bit of a grin as he made his way down the street in front of the inn. The sun was just coming up making this the earliest he’d been up and out in recent memory. Well, he couldn’t sleep anyway, what with all the goings on in the other room, and this was the perfect chance to check out the hillside viewing spot he’d seen a few days back. He needed to walk off some of his thoughts from the previous night anyway. Wondering about what might be happening back on Earth and to Sharon had contributed to a relatively sleepless night. Besides, the sky was clear for a change, meaning the city would be a spectacular sight from up there. He knew he’d be able to see the entire city, as well as the river as it disappeared to the west. Off to the right were the mountains and the source of the Nur river. He’d been told that from the right spot one could see the cascading waterfalls at the edge of town. He’d bet he could see them from up there.
Most of Carta was on the flat, with minor rises and dips. There were only two real hills within the city limits. One of those was inside the inner city, and the King’s residence was built on top. The other was about two miles away, and was built up with a number of very upscale homes. That was only predictable he decided. Even in Boulder, the money always got the view. Just because the rich owned it didn’t mean he couldn’t wander down the streets and enjoy the scene just once.
Forty-five minutes later he was working his way up the side of the hill, passing some of the truly beautiful residences built here. Already he’d been impressed by the view, but he wanted to get all the way to the top where he’d be able to get a full panoramic sweep of the city. If they had electricity, a night view would have been fantastic, but here the nights were mostly just dark.
He’d almost reached the top when he came to a high stone wall with a sturdy gate that blocked further progress.
“Damn it,” he muttered softly, a bit frustrated. To have come all this way and not be able to go the last little way. He decided to follow the wall and see what might develop.
It didn’t take too long to learn the wall completely encircled the top section of the hill, and whoever owned the property inside had a very large private estate with the best view in the city all to themselves.
So now what? If he hadn’t been so frustrated by the days of inaction, he probably would have gone home. Today, however, he needed an escape and headed back to the spot on the far side of the hill that might offer a way inside.
Soon, Jolan stood on the branch of a tree and reached out across to the top of the wall. It was a stretch, but he could make it. He leaned away from the wall, pulled the staff from between the branches where he’d wedged it, and slid it over onto the top of the wall. Then he repeated the long reach, grasping with extended fingers, and leaped. He caught the edge easily enough, but slammed his knee against the wall painfully. Grimacing, he pulled himself up to the top, retrieved the staff, and slid down the far side.
The estate was even nicer than he’d guessed, with an ornate house off to the left side of the enclosure, well away from the large garden viewing area he’d spotted from up in the tree. That worked just fine for him. He could stay well away from the residence, have a look see, and make his way back out before anyone was the wiser.
He’d been alone for less than ten minutes when he heard the thump of heavy boots not too far away. From the sound, there had to be several people coming. Quickly he hurried back down the walkway he'd used to get to the garden so he could have a look.
“Oh crap!” It was the Royal Guard. Someone must have seen him and reported it. Jolan looked around quickly, but no quick escape presented itself. A wiser man would have planned his exit before enjoying the view.
He finally found a corner where the sun had not yet reached that provided a good bit of shade. It was also away from the center of the garden, so he would be far less likely to be detected without a careful search. For good measure he pushed himself as far back against the stone as possible and concentrated on maintaining the cloaking spell he’d been practicing with Altz.
The guards did a reasonably thorough search of the garden, and he knew without the use of the spell he’d have been discovered. Even with the concealment it afforded, he thought the guard was going to find him when the man suddenly turned and yelled at the others, “It’s all clear.”
“Of course it is,” the guard said quietly to himself as he turned away and walked back to the others. “Who’d be so stupid they’d try and sneak in here?”
With a slow release of the breath he’d been holding, Jolan waited until the man was clearly leaving, and released the power. Once he was sure they were gone, he walked back over to the garden for a quick last look. He figured he could slip back down the tr
ail and back over the wall in a matter of a few minutes.
“Good morning,” said a soft voice behind him. “Are you enjoying the view?”
How had someone slipped up behind him so quickly and quietly? He turned, knowing he’d been caught and would be turned over to the guards momentarily. With luck maybe he could talk his way out of any serious consequences.
He couldn’t have been prepared for the beauty of the woman. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone who could come close to matching her. She had very long black hair that fell straight and smooth to mid back, with very dark brown eyes that looked at him without wavering. A small nose and a smiling mouth with very white teeth offset the tanned light brown skin. Her arms and legs were bare, slender, and shapely, while the rest of her figure was hidden by the colorful blouse and pants she wore.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know I shouldn’t be here, but I walked all the way here and just couldn’t go away without seeing the city from up here. Call your husband and I’ll explain. Your guards can see me off the property.”
She shook her head, and he realized somehow she meant she had no husband. She looked to be just over twenty years of age, which meant she was a year or so past the age where Seretian women became eligible for marriage. He’d assumed she was the wife of some wealthy merchant or politician; politician most likely given the presence of the guard, but maybe not.
“Don’t you want to call your guard?” he asked, expecting she would be nervous alone here with a stranger.
“They are not needed,” she said softly, her voice pleasant to his ears.
“I would have thought you would be afraid, finding a strange man on your property.”
“You are no threat to me,” she answered. “I have always been able to tell these things. I’m not supposed to speak of it because my father suspects it is an ability linked to the power, but it is true. I’m Therasi, by the way.”
“Jolan,” he answered feeling slightly dishonest for not revealing his true name but knowing that would only result in needless confusion and complication.
“Welcome then Jolan, if that’s what you’d like to be called. Come, walk with me and enjoy the view.”
The way she’d responded, he wondered if she knew it wasn’t his name or whether she was just thinking he might be evasive because he had been caught and didn’t want to reveal who he really was.
He moved up along side her and together they walked toward the edge of the garden where they could look down upon the city and the river.
“You do live here then?” he asked, still trying to understand who she might be.
“Sometimes,” she answered, which didn’t help him at all. “I like to be on my own at times. It clears the head and puts the world in perspective. My family is often trying. And you? Somehow I sense Carta is new to you.”
“This is my first time. I’ve been here almost two weeks, and am just getting a feel for the region.”
“Are you planning on staying long?”
“Only until my business is concluded. Maybe a couple more weeks. Then I’ll be on my way to Angon.”
“I’ve been to Cobalo,” she responded. “Is that where you’re going?”
Jolan nodded. “It will be my first time there as well.” As soon as he said it, Jolan realized he could be fast digging himself a hole. Pretty soon she’d be like Morin and wonder just where he might be from.
“Is that a staff?”
“It’s just a walking stick,” he answered, hating himself for lying but feeling secretive about the magical artifact.
“Oh, I thought it might have been something more. Since you are going to Cobalo, I thought maybe you might be a mage. That would be exciting. There are so few mages here. For a moment I thought I could sense something special about your ‘stick’.”
“Do you stay here often?” Jolan asked. He wanted to get the topic away from mages and magic.
“Why? Are you planning on breaking in again?” She smiled to show she was joking with him. Her smiled touched something inside him, and he felt a bit shaken for a moment.
“You’ll be standing right there,” said an unexpected voice directly behind them. “Step away please Miss Therasi.”
She sighed, but did as the voice directed. Once she was several feet away, there was a flurry of movement behind him and several of the guards moved to surround him, two with cocked crossbows pointed in his direction.
“It’s okay Jackar,” she said. “He’s only here for the view.”
“We can’t know that,” the man objected, and Jolan knew he was in a bit of a spot. They would want to ask questions, and the only real answers would not be believed. He didn’t know enough about Gaea as yet to be able to fool a trained investigator. This could end badly.
“Jackar,” Therasi said sharply, and he was surprised at the command obvious in her tone. “I said he is not a threat. Now, if you must, we’ll escort him to the gate. But you are to release him and allow him to go his way unhindered. Do you understand?”
Frowning, and obviously not happy about his orders, for orders they clearly were, the man she called Jackar grabbed Jolan’s shoulder and herded him toward the gate.
“Goodbye Jolan,” she said. “I wish we could have spoken longer. I enjoyed meeting you. Be well.”
Minutes later the heavy gate slammed closed behind him and he figured he would likely never see the beautiful Therasi again, but fortunately he appeared to have gotten away with his foolishness this time.
Chapter 29
“Where have you been?” a bleary eyed Asari asked as soon as Jolan walked into the room.
“I went out for a walk,” Jolan explained, not wanting to tell his friend about getting caught and almost making a mess of their plans here.
“It’s not like you to be up so early. I wondered… Did we? ….I thought maybe Ashreye and I disturbed your sleep. Is everything okay?”
Jolan grinned at his friend’s discomfort. “Disturbed? Well, I did notice a bit of screaming and moaning, but I didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about. I was also kept awake by some thoughts about what might be going on back home; wondering about what Cheurt might be up to. He’s had time to go back there by now. So, I got up and went to look at a city view I’d been wanting to check out for a while.”
Jolan looked around and asked, “Where is Ashreye by the way?”
“She has to work tonight and went home. She said she needed some sleep.”
“You look like you could use some as well,” Jolan observed dryly. “From the sounds I heard it’s a wonder you can even walk.”
A bit embarrassed, Asari nodded in agreement. “Probably, but I had to go see my friend. He gave me an idea, but we have to hurry. If we don’t go today, we’ll have to wait until next week, a full ten days, for another chance.”
“A chance for what?” Jolan asked, not understanding what Asari was getting at.
“We might be able to talk to one of the council Lords today.”
“How would we. . . . . . ?”
“I’ll explain as we go. Come. I don’t know how busy it is going to be.”
“So the Lords hold some kind of open court?” Jolan asked as their carriage clattered down the busy street towards the Royal Gardens not too far from where Jolan had been a bit earlier.
“The King has two courts the people can make use of to seek justice. The Royal Court is very formal and serves two main purposes. All suspects arrested by the Guard are brought before the Royal Court. There is a special division just for that. In addition, anyone who wants a formal trial, complete with advocates and witnesses can apply to the Royal Court. It is expensive, so very seldom do the more common people elect to go that way. The People’s Court is much more informal and entirely free, but is far busier. There are no advocates, just the two sides presenting their grievances. One of the Lords of Parliament presides, and his decision is final. The participants know that in advance and are bound by the decision.”
“Do the
Lords have training in the law?”
“Basically, they are the law, as designated by the King. The ten council members take turns with the duty.”
“How do we get on the schedule?”
“There is no formal schedule. We just need to show up, wait in line, and if time permits we will come before the court before it closes. If not, we have to come back the following week.”
They had walked past the entrance to the Royal Gardens some days before on one of their excursions around the city. The entire area was surrounded by a ten-foot wall that had to be a yard thick. While it was surfaced with a decorative exterior, there was no question that security had been the driving factor in the design. Today Jolan took more note of the massive steel gate that could be closed and barred to prevent entry to the Gardens, as well as the guard shack on either side of the wide entrance, and the more than dozen guards present just here near the entrance. As they followed the press of people headed towards the gate, Jolan turned to Asari.
“Asari, you still have the Colt.”
“It’s okay. Large weapons such as swords and bows are not permitted, but smaller weapons such as belt knives are not restricted. It would be too hard to try and limit every blade. They rely on the guard to handle any altercations, and they do have full sized swords.”
Still concerned, Jolan watched as the guards checked those in front of them. Most were passed with only a glance, and only those wearing clothing that might be able to hide a larger weapon were asked to open their coats. In their light attire, and thin jackets, the guard casually waved them on when their turn came.
“See,” Asari said with a grin. “Nothing to worry about.”
Inside the wall, Jolan could see that no effort had been spared to make the area unique and memorable. The massive buildings were well separated, and the spaces between them were filled with wide stone passageways lined with trees. Flowers bloomed everywhere, although the fall was starting to take its toll, and grassy lawns added additional color.
