“You could attempt to set some trends.” Lilah lifted the sleeve of a beige dress with fringes. “This might fall nicely on you. And here’s an inner pocket. For your grenades.”
“Jaxi would be affronted if I felt the need to carry explosives. She’s quite capable of melting, incinerating, and blowing up things. Though I do hope none of that will be necessary at my wedding.”
“Let’s hope. Are you allowed to try on dresses?” Lilah looked toward the man in the suit, but he was working on a hat, snipping pieces of felt all over a work table, and ignoring them.
Surprised Jaxi hadn’t chimed in on the incineration and explosion subject, Sardelle silently asked, Is she still washing her feet?
No, she’s spritzing perfume on them now. The scent of rose petals.
“I do like that one,” Sardelle said of the beige dress. “Neutral colors tend to match the leather of Jaxi’s scabbard nicely. I suspect she’ll glow a little as I walk along too.”
“Is that desirable?”
“She thinks so.”
Lady Masonwood returned and bee-lined for Sardelle, barely glancing at Lilah.
Sardelle groped for an opening to ask about the Dakrovian customer. Maybe subtlety didn’t matter that much. Masonwood shouldn’t have a reason to protect the man if she’d reported on his comings and goings to a guild that sold information to people like Ahnsung. And Jaxi, an expert at snooping into people’s minds, ought to be able to pluck the information from Masonwood’s thoughts if Sardelle merely brought the Dakrovian up.
“I was hoping you could help me, Sardelle,” Masonwood said. “You are a true healer, aren’t you? I looked you up after the dragon attacks on the city a couple of months ago.”
“Yes, I’m happy to assist with ailments.”
Sardelle resisted the urge to crinkle her nose. Jaxi had been right. Rose petals. The scent of the perfume wafted strongly from the woman.
“Though my dress-shopping assistant, Professor Zirkander, was actually hoping to do some research on your clientele for a demographics paper at her university,” Sardelle said, gesturing at Lilah. “Would you mind answering a couple of questions for her before we go back to check out your problem?”
Sardelle was on the verge of attempting telepathic communication with Lilah for the first time to explain herself, but Lilah turned toward Masonwood and extended her hand.
“Yes, I teach demographics and economics, and research and write papers, naturally. I have over forty-seven publications out there in respected journals.” She glanced at Sardelle, a hint of a what-next look in her eye.
“She’s curious about non-local clientele,” Sardelle said, speaking quickly because Masonwood wore a puzzled—and slightly impatient—expression. “Do you get many people in here from other nations, or is it predominantly local Iskandians?”
“Well, we’re known far and wide, you understand. It’s rare for the Cofah to come here, but we occasionally get well-off merchant captains visiting Jolof—” she waved to the felt-clipping haberdasher, “—and traveling business mavens on occasion, but only those who have the leisure to stay a while, as we custom-fit our clothing, and while we will deliver, we don’t risk shipping overseas through the freight service.”
“Have any Dakrovians been in, by chance?” Sardelle asked.
Masonwood tilted her head in a puzzled look.
She’s thinking of a man that came in her shop wearing buckskins and a bowler hat, Jaxi told Sardelle, but she’s also thinking it strange that you’re bringing this up. It’s possible Lilah isn’t a convincing economics professor. It could be her boobs.
Pardon?
She’s well-endowed.
That’s not allowed in the academic world?
It seems rare.
“Occasionally,” Masonwood said, shrugging. “May I convince you to look at something for me?” She pointed to the side doorway.
“Of course.” Sardelle trailed her into a short hall that led past changing rooms, an office full of packages being prepared for shipping, and a lavatory.
When Masonwood turned into the lavatory, Sardelle suspected she was in for toenail fungus, warts, or bunions. She decided that if she got a discount on a dress for healing such things, she wouldn’t mention it to Ridge.
You don’t think your soul snozzle would be amused?
Too amused, likely.
Maybe there’s a package for Tolemek’s kidnappers in that stack. Do kidnappers get deliveries?
That’s a good question. If he came here to shop, and they custom-tailor everything…
When you asked Masonwood about foreigners, a couple of names popped into her mind. Vark Something and Yendree J-something.
So, you think we should root through the packages and see if any are going out to a Something? Sardelle asked.
Sorry, she didn’t stop to spell them for me. Those probably aren’t the exact first names either. Who knows if she was even thinking of them correctly. But she also had the thought that she needed to get those packages mailed out to them. I can sift through that shipping preparation area to see if there’s a match—or a close-enough match—while you’re rubbing her feet.
Would it be helpful if Cas, Lilah, and Kaika help? Sardelle asked as Masonwood gestured to two padded stools next to a steaming pool. There were changing rooms behind the pool, along with toilets in private stalls filled with candles and potpourri. This store had a fancy latrine. Maybe the woman lived in the apartment above and came down to use it for bathing. Or maybe one regularly took a dip after purchasing a dress.
Help with the foot-rubbing? Doubtful.
With the searching.
Only if they can distract that hat-snipping man and sneak back without being noticed. It would be much easier for me to read the labels. I’ll begin now.
“It’s my feet, dear. I’ve had these dreadful—oh, I don’t know exactly what you call them—bumps—for years, and they’re impeding my comfort when I walk.”
I believe the medical term is warts, Jaxi said.
Just look at those packages, please. As Sardelle sat on one of the stools opposite Masonwood, she switched her telepathic focus to Cas. She didn’t often speak that way to her, but had before, and didn’t think Cas would find it too jarring. Cas? We believe a couple of foreigners, possibly Dakrovians, have been here recently and made purchases. There’s an office back here with boxes due to go out. If you can slip into the hallway and into it, perhaps you’ll find something if you poke around.
Sardelle didn’t add that she would be shocked if this actually led to Tolemek’s kidnappers, both because she didn’t want to deflate Cas’s determination and because she didn’t have any better ideas. Once Phelistoth or Bhrava Saruth came within her range, she would mention the submarine possibility to them. With their powerful magic, they might be able to detect such a conveyance from dozens of miles away, especially if it employed a magical power source, as the army’s fliers did.
I’ve got the proprietor distracted, Sardelle added, sensing Cas conferring with Kaika. Sardelle broadened her range to include her. We’re in the back, but the man is still in his part of the shop. You’ll have to distract him somehow to get past to snoop.
Oh, I can distract a man, Kaika replied, the grin coming through the telepathic link. No problem.
Good. Jaxi is already looking.
You left your sword in the office? Cas asked.
No, she’s looking from my hip.
I see why you need us, Kaika thought.
I heard that, Jaxi said, speaking to all of them. I’ll have you know I read all the books in the prison library at Galmok Mountain from under thousands of tons of rocks. I’m positive I’ll find the right package before either of you gets back here.
“I can make those go away,” Sardelle said when Masonwood thrust a foot into her lap.
“Oh, wonderful. I’ve tried all manner of poultices and tinctures. It’s really quite embarrassing. It’s summer, and I’m unable to wear sandals for obvious reasons.”
; Sardelle didn’t think the warts were that noticeable, since they were between the woman’s toes, but she could understand them making walking uncomfortable. “Just give me a few moments, and I’ll take care of them.”
Have I mentioned how exciting it is to watch you handle women’s feet? Jaxi asked.
You haven’t.
Good.
Shouldn’t you be focusing on finding those packages before Cas does? Since you made that claim?
Oh, I will. I can do many things at once. It’s part of the gloriousness of being a soulblade.
“I can hardly wait,” Masonwood said. “Did you come in for a wedding dress? I would be most honored to have you choose one from my collection.”
“I did,” Sardelle murmured, her eyes closed so she could concentrate, though she also brushed the woman’s mind, curious to find out if she was telling the truth. Even though Masonwood wanted something and had a reason to be nice, this wasn’t the reception Sardelle had expected.
“I’ll discount it deeply and sell it at cost. I don’t suppose you could get me an invitation to the wedding?” Masonwood smiled, the words surprisingly genuine. “I’ve tried to use my connections to Angulus to get an invitation, but it seems General Zirkander is only inviting military personnel. Or so we all thought. Then I heard that assassin Ahnsung got an invitation. Imagine!”
“He’s the father of one of Ridge’s pilots,” Sardelle said in explanation, though it had surprised her, too, when Ridge had addressed that particular card. She had signed the invitation but hadn’t written anything else on it, having no idea what to say to the man.
“Mm. Many noblewomen are distressed that they haven’t been invited. Oh, we know he’s not of the nobility, but he’s been such a dashing hero flying in and out of the capital these past twenty years. One tends to forget that he has dubious origins. Some of my younger associates are terribly jealous of you, my dear, but I just think it’s so romantic that the great General Zirkander has fallen in love and is getting married. Some author will pen a tale about it, I’m certain.”
Sardelle decided it would be petty to mention that the author would probably neglect to mention her in it, instead putting some more socially acceptable woman in the role of wife-to-be. Instead, she smiled and released Masonwood’s bare foot.
“Is that better?”
The woman wiggled her toes, then bent as low as she could manage to examine them. “I don’t feel the bumps there anymore. This is wonderful.”
You may want to delay her a little longer, Jaxi said. We’re still looking. Lilah, Cas, and I. Kaika is simultaneously flirting with the haberdasher while asking him to see hats for her boyfriend. The haberdasher sees nothing odd about this. He’s wondering what her boobs look like under her uniform.
Sardelle lifted a hand as Masonwood started to rise. “Perhaps I should check your other foot too. Warts are viral and can spread.”
“Oh dear.” Masonwood plopped back down onto the stool and lifted her other foot for Sardelle.
“I’m sure I could send you an invitation to the wedding,” Sardelle said, doing a cursory examination. She decided not to mention that Masonwood would be doing her a favor in coming, since her side of the guest list had been so sparse. She’d already invited the woman who had trimmed her hair the month before and the postman who delivered their mail—he had been delighted. “Just let me know where to have it sent.”
“Excellent, excellent.”
We’ve got something, Jaxi said. A package addressed to a berth in the Ambergull harbor.
That’s a hundred miles down the coast.
Hence why it’s being shipped instead of sent out by bicycle deliverer, I imagine. It’s the Yen- name. Yendray. I was close. This package is the only thing addressed to a wharf.
Excitement stirred in Sardelle’s breast. Maybe this would turn into a viable lead after all.
Can you tell what’s in the package? she asked.
A hat. It’s covered with rabbit fur that’s been dyed blue. I have a feeling Tolemek has an eccentric kidnapper.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
What if the man was mad? Some delusional megalomaniac who wanted to take over the world with Tolemek’s concoctions?
I don’t know if hat fur necessarily denotes that degree of madness, Jaxi said, but if nothing else, I think we’ll be able to identify him if we spot him.
Agreed.
9
Cas and Kaika jumped off the steam wagon that had given them a ride back to the fort and ran for the front gate. They had left Sardelle and Lilah at the Sophisticated Hem—apparently, Sardelle had established some rapport with that Masonwood woman and felt obligated to buy her dress there. But Sardelle had promised to find General Zirkander and catch up with Cas and Kaika on the way to Ambergull. Cas knew Sardelle could throw magical wind at Zirkander’s propeller to make the flier go faster.
As she ran, Cas clenched the address she had scribbled down in her hand, glancing at it often, though she already had it memorized. Wharf B Berth 12 in Ambergull. She had no idea why the Dakrovians would have docked a hundred miles down the coast after kidnapping Tolemek, but this was the best lead she had.
The gate guards, recognizing them and seeing the determined expressions on their faces, waved them through without asking for identification. Cas headed straight to the tram at the back of the fort that led up to the hangar butte.
“Do you need to ask General Zirkander or your squadron leader for permission before taking off?” Kaika asked as they jumped into the tram car waiting at the bottom of the cliff.
Cas waved for the operator to send them up. “I should. And if they’re up there, I will.”
“And if they’re not?”
“I’ll round up who I can to go check out Ambergull. If there’s a big Dakrovian or pirate ship docked down there, we may need backup.”
“I’m a little distressed you didn’t let me swing by the armory to pick up some explosives. I hardly have any with me.”
“There’s a small armory in the hangar. Maybe it can supply you.” Cas paced in the small tram car as much as she could. Three short steps, turn, three short steps, turn again…
“Most of the ordnance up there is designed to be dropped from above.”
“If they have Tolemek, I’ll be happy to fly you over their heads to do that.”
“We should probably get him out of their ship first,” Kaika said dryly. “Which likely means boarding it. We’ll need some of your best fighters along. If your flier squadrons have any best fighters.”
“Captain Blazer is an experienced warrior.”
“Yes, I’ve seen her boxing medals. We can throw some gloves on her and send her in first. She’ll have to let the kidnappers know that the only valid targets are above the waist, otherwise no points for them.”
The tram clanked as it reached the top of the butte. Cas jumped out and ran for the hangar door. She knew Zirkander had sent Wolf Squadron out to search up and down the coast for suspicious activity and didn’t know who would be inside, if anyone. She hoped not to run into Colonel Coyote from Tiger Squadron, as he might not give her permission to take off. She intended to go regardless of what any of her superior officers said, but there would be fewer repercussions if she left without asking for permission than if she was denied permission and left anyway.
The door opened before she reached it, and two ground crew soldiers carrying a dented propeller between them strode out ahead of Zirkander. Cas came to an abrupt halt. His face and hands were as greasy as those of the ground crew.
“Sir,” she blurted. “We have a lead.”
“So I heard,” Zirkander said.
“Sir?”
“From Jaxi. She keeps me apprised of everything she thinks I need to know. Leads to find kidnapped friends, the color of the dress Sardelle picked out, the warts she healed… The important things in life.” Zirkander pointed his thumb through the doorway. “Tranq is still out with most of Wolf and Tiger
Squadrons, but Duck, Pimples, and Blazer just got back. Take them with you to Ambergull.”
“Ah yes,” Kaika said. “Duck and Pimples. Preeminent pugilists, I’m sure.”
Zirkander looked at her.
“Captain Kaika believes we’ll have to forcefully board the ship and fight our way to Tolemek,” Cas made herself explain, though she was antsy to rush into the hangar and jump in her flier, “not simply drop bombs on it from above.”
“No bombs? And she’s still willing to go along?”
“I like to clobber things with fists and bullets too,” Kaika said.
“And here I thought Angulus was civilizing you.”
“Nah, I’m wilding him.”
“That’s alarming. Ahn, Sardelle is on her way here. We’ll be right behind you. If she senses Tolemek on a ship and thinks we need to board, we’ll let Jaxi lead the way.”
“Last I saw, Jaxi was attached to Sardelle,” Kaika said.
“Yes, I believe that’s still the case,” Zirkander said.
“You’re going to send your fiancée in first against kidnappers?”
“She’s a very capable woman.” Zirkander grinned. “Don’t worry, Kaika. I’ll let you go after her.”
“Thoughtful, sir. Thank you.”
Cas bounced on her feet, not in the mood for banter. “Permission to go, sir?”
“You’re still here?” Zirkander jerked his thumb toward the fliers again.
Cas bolted.
The hangar doors stood open as she ran toward one of the two-seaters, the sky outside gray. The workday had nearly ended, but the long summer days meant they could reach Ambergull before dark. Though maybe it would be better to arrive after dark.
“Nice of you to come to work, Ahn,” Duck called, waving a thermos as he munched a sandwich. “You’ve been scarcer than bees in the winter these last couple of days.”
“Looking for Tolemek. Mount up. We’re heading to Ambergull.”
“So we heard.” Duck nodded toward Pimples. “Just having a snack first. You don’t want cranky, hungry pilots along, do you?”
“I think she just wants to find her cranky, hungry pirate,” Blazer said from her own flier. She was loading fresh ammo for her machine guns.
Oaths (Dragon Blood, Book 8) Page 15
