Demonkin

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “I could,” frowned the waiter, “but it would work much better if it appeared to be coming from you and not me. Perhaps you could write a short note that I could deliver with the shawl?”

  “And say what?” frowned the captain.

  “Something simple will do,” smiled the waiter as he placed a piece of paper and a writing utensil in front of the captain. “Let me suggest this, ‘I am sorry. I hope this will make you feel better.’ I think you will discover the wisdom of my advice later tonight.”

  The waiter winked at the captain, and Captain Beck laughed as he scribbled the words on the paper and signed his name.

  “Do you also offer advice on gambling?” quipped the captain as he handed the paper and writing utensil back to the waiter.

  “Unfortunately, no,” chuckled the waiter. “It was gambling that brought me to my current lofty position. Let me go get you another set of drinks.”

  Captain Beck returned his attention to the game. A few minutes later, he saw the waiter approach Natia with the shawl. She read the note and glanced in the captain’s direction. The scowl fell from her face and she grinned broadly. The captain cheerily waved to her and then returned his gaze to the table.

  As soon as the captain’s attention was diverted back to the game, Natia rose and hurried out of the warehouse. Sitting across the street was a merchant’s wagon bearing a sign that said Spino Mercantile. Natia ran across the street and hopped up on the seat. She turned and handed the paper to the driver.

  “Interesting,” mused Edmond Mercado. “Did he really write this?”

  “It is his handwriting,” grinned Natia, “although its use will not be what he intended.”

  “What if they all do not partake of the ale?” asked the merchant.

  “We will deal with that when the time comes,” shrugged Natia. “I hope for their sake that they all drink heavily, but we will be going in whether they drink it or not. You may have to haul some bodies away with the children, but I wouldn’t want them in the same wagon.”

  “My people can deal with that,” promised Edmond.

  “Are you going to deliver the ale yourself?”

  “No,” answered Edmond. “My face is too well known in Giza. I will send Cobb to do it. He has been itching for a more active part in crushing the Federation.”

  “Well have him be quick about it,” urged Natia. “I want your wagons rolling out of the city well before sunrise.”

  “The earlier the better,” agreed Edmond.

  Natia jumped off the wagon and crossed the street to wait in front of the warehouse for Headman to arrive. Edmond drove his wagon around the corner and halted behind another wagon. He hopped down from the seat and walked forward. When he reached the front of the other wagon, he handed the note to Cobb.

  “The note is meant to make it appear as if the kegs are from Captain Beck. Encourage the men to partake greedily, but do not sample it yourself. I have need for you before the morning.”

  Cobb nodded silently and urged his team forward. Minutes later, he halted the wagon in front of the reeducation center. He pulled the kegs off the wagon one at a time and set them by the door to the center. He knocked loudly on the door and the window eventually slid open.

  “Delivery,” said Cobb.

  The soldier’s face moved away from the window and another took its place.

  “What delivery?” asked the sergeant. “I was not told about any delivery. Perhaps you have the wrong address.”

  “Is there another reeducation center in Giza?” asked the merchant. When the sergeant frowned and didn’t answer, Cobb pressed on. “These kegs will get stolen out here if I leave them unattended.”

  “Kegs?” echoed the sergeant.

  The window suddenly slid closed, and Cobb heard keys being used to unlock the door. He smiled inwardly as the door crept open.

  “What kind of joke is this?” the sergeant asked as he stared down at the two kegs.

  “No joke on my part,” Cobb said defensively as he handed a piece of paper to the sergeant. “I was told to deliver this message with the kegs.”

  The sergeant took the paper and read it. An eyebrow rose in surprise and his eyes returned to the kegs as he opened the door wider. He turned to the soldiers lurking behind him and nodded to the kegs. “Get those things in here so I can shut the door.”

  Two soldiers moved quickly to seize the kegs and carry them into the building. The sergeant closed the door without a word to the deliveryman, but Cobb did not mind. His task was complete.

  Chapter 40

  The Sting

  Headman exited the warehouse and headed towards Natia. Gone was the thief’s white garb that he used to portray a waiter for the gamblers inside the building. The elven thief was dressed totally in black.

  “Are you sure you can do this alone?” Headman asked.

  “I just need a way into the building.” Natia nodded.

  “Very well,” replied Headman. “Come along then.”

  The head thief of Giza led the gypsy princess through streets and dark alleys. He eventually entered a building and took the stairs down to the basement. The basement was dark and cluttered, and Natia followed the thief closely so as not to lose her way. The chosen path weaved through tall stacks of crates and eventually ended in a corner obscured by the crates. Two men were waiting for them. Headman nodded to the two men, and they began to shove a tall dresser along the wall.

  “This wall is shared by the basement of the city building next door,” explained Headman. “When they are done,” he continued with a nod towards the two men, “you can go through. You will emerge in a small closet. Listen for sounds before opening the door. Their basement is used mostly for dead storage, but the cleaners keep their supplies down there, and they often work at night. If you hear nothing for a decent period of time, crack the door and see if the torches are lit. If they are, you will have to wait because the cleaners will be in the building.”

  “How long do the cleaners stay if they are there?” Natia asked with concern. “I am on a tight schedule tonight.”

  “Hours,” Headman replied.

  Natia frowned, but she nodded with acceptance. This portion of her scheme was expendable, but it would do a lot to maintain her cover in the city. She turned to watch Headman’s men as they reached through the wall and moved a piece of furniture in the closet beyond the wall. When they were done, one of the men turned with a grin on his face. He bowed with his arm extended towards the hole in the wall.

  “Thank you,” Natia smiled.

  Natia slid through the hole in the wall. The closet was small and dark, the only light coming from the torches in the other building where Headman waited. The gypsy princess put her head to the door and listened intently. She heard nothing. After listening for a couple of minutes, she cracked the door open and was greeted by total darkness. She slid out the door of the closet and closed it, blocking all traces of light from Headman’s torches. The room was so dark that Natia dared not move for fear of knocking over something. She reached into her pocket and woke up her fairy.

  “This is darker than the inside of an ogre’s stomach,” chirped the fairy. “Where are we?”

  Despite the tenseness she felt, Natia giggled. “Since when have you seen the inside of an ogre’s stomach? Create some light so we can see.”

  “Fairies have great imaginations,” Chip replied humorously as he cast a fairy light. “Have we been imprisoned? This is rather large for a cell. And very cluttered.”

  “Be quiet,” cautioned Natia. “We are trying not to be detected. Lead me through this maze so I can find the stairs.”

  Chip did not reply as he darted upward so that he could see over the stacks of furniture. The fairy dropped back down to the level of Natia’s head with a wide grin on his tiny face.

  “I have mapped out our path,” he announced. “Follow me.”

  Natia followed Chip through the maze of old furniture and stacks of boxes. It took just moments to reach the s
tairs, but Natia sighed anxiously as she thought about trying to retrace her steps. The fairy had made so many quick turns that she would have been lost without him.

  “Douse the light and get into my pocket,” whispered Natia. “There will be soldiers at the top of the stairs.”

  Natia truly didn’t know if her words were true, but she was not taking any chances. Once the fairy was safely in her pocket, she climbed the stairs stealthily. At the top of the stairs was another door, and Natia put her ear to it for several minutes. She heard nothing. Easing the door open a crack, she peered out. Distant torches lighted the room beyond, and Natia recognized the distinctive pattern of the floor tiles as matching the lobby of the building. She could not see anyone, nor did she recognize the room. She pushed the door open wider.

  When the door was open wide enough for her to squeeze through, she did, and she found herself in a short corridor off the main lobby. She moved cautiously towards the lobby and suddenly heard distant voices. She immediately halted as she tried to determine the direction and distance of the voices, but she could not tell. She remembered the lobby as a huge room, and the tiles caused the sounds to echo strangely. She crept to the corner and peered into the lobby. Far in the distance, she saw the soldiers gathered near the front door. The short corridor that she was in was closer to the rear staircase, and that brought a smile to her lips. Still, the soldiers were standing in a circle, and that meant that at least some of them would be looking in her direction. Natia stared across the lobby at the rear staircase and wondered how she could get across the room without being seen. She decided to wait for the soldiers to do something other than stand in a circle and talk.

  As the minutes dragged by, Natia eventually realized that the soldiers were not going to move anytime soon. If she wanted to cross the room, she would just have to do it. Steeling her nerve, the Knight of Alcea dropped to the floor. Angling towards the darkest patch of floor, she crawled out of the short corridor and onto the lobby floor. Gritting her teeth, Natia crawled ever so slowly across the tile floor, hoping that if she was seen, the soldiers would mistake her for a shadow.

  Natia was halfway across the floor when the soldiers’ voices unexpectedly got louder. She glanced towards the front door and saw the circle breaking up. Frozen in terror, Natia could do nothing but stare at the soldiers. One soldier separated from the rest and headed for the front stairs. For just a moment, all of the soldiers appeared to be watching that one man as the voices grew more boisterous. Natia saw that as her only chance to avoid discovery. She swiftly rose and dashed across the remaining tiles as knives slid into her hands. She cowered under the rear stairs, waiting for the cry of alarm to echo off the walls.

  For several moments, Natia held her breath, but no one shouted. Slowly her ragged breathing subsided, and she realized that she had not been seen. She heard footsteps above her, and vowed to remain under the stairs until they were gone. As she waited for the soldier to complete his rounds, Natia stared across the lobby. She frowned heavily and pressed her lips tightly together when she saw another staircase across the lobby from her. The staircase met the lobby not twenty paces from where she had exited the basement. She berated herself for not exploring the building more thoroughly before breaking into it, but she had expected to come in a window, not from the basement.

  The soldier’s footsteps pounded on the stairs above her head as he descended to the lobby. Natia pushed herself further under the stairs to avoid being detected. The soldier turned at the bottom of the stairs and walked right by her. She could have reached out and touched his boot if she had had a mind to end her life, but Natia had no death wish. She watched the soldier return to the group near the front door. The gypsy princess remained hidden for several more minutes while the guards settled back into their social circle. When she felt that they were sufficiently absorbed in their male bonding, she slid out from under the stairs and quickly climbed to the second floor. She moved stealthily along the corridor until she reached the door to the chamber of Judge Julius. Using a thin piece of metal hidden in her belt, Natia picked the lock and silently entered the office.

  She did not need any light to maneuver in the office. She had memorized the layout. Within seconds of entering the room, Natia had managed to open the desk drawer and grab the bright pink pouch with twenty-thousand in gold inside. She tied the pouch to her belt and retreated from the office. She didn’t bother to lock the door to the office, but she did close it. She retreated to the rear of the building, and used the far staircase to descend to the lobby level. Instead of having to crawl across the floor, Natia merely hugged the wall to return to the short corridor. Once there, she descended into the basement and let Chip cast another fairy light to find her way across the basement to the closet.

  “Did you get what you needed?” asked Headman.

  “I got it.” Natia nodded. “Thank you for your help.”

  “We are off to the center then?”

  “Not yet,” replied Natia. “I have one more stop to make first. You can come with me if you wish.”

  Headman ordered his men to close up the entrance to the closet and then left with Natia. The gypsy princess led him across town to the home of Captain Beck. The thief raised an eyebrow as Natia brought out a set of keys and unlocked the captain’s door.

  “And here I thought you copied the keys just to access the center. What are we doing here?”

  “I will show you,” grinned Natia as she opened the door.

  Headman followed Natia into the apartment. She walked to a corner of the room and moved a small rug. Under the rug was a large knothole in the wooden floor. Natia pried it up and took out a small pouch. Headman raised an eyebrow as he watched. When Natia reached under her tunic and produced a much larger pouch, one that was bright pink, the head thief of Giza could remain quiet no longer.

  “What are you doing?” he asked. “I thought it was strange that you were taking the time to rob the meager belongings of the captain with so much at stake tonight, but actually putting something in his hide hole has me intrigued.”

  “In that pouch is twenty-thousand in gold,” explained Natia. “It was just stolen from the office of Judge Julius. Make sure that none of your men accidentally discover it before the authorities do. It is the finishing touch on the framing of Captain Beck.”

  “Merciful gods!” exclaimed Headman. “You are an evil woman. Even after they discover the children missing, they will believe that one of their own people is responsible for it.”

  Natia merely grinned as she covered up the captain’s hiding spot.

  “But won’t they tie you to him?” questioned the head thief of Giza. “You have been at his side the whole time.”

  “Have I?” chuckled Natia. “He thinks that I have, but the truth is, I haven’t been with him much at all. No one from the center has seen me by his side. Even at the games, I separated from him quickly. The only place I have been seen with him is at the Tap and Keg tavern, and his favorite table is in a dark corner. He even went in alone to the city building tonight to supposedly find my lost shawl. I am sure the soldiers will remember him in the morning.”

  “And you will remain free to come and go in Giza as you please,” Headman chuckled with a shake of his head. “You are good, Natia. Very good.”

  “There are three more steps to my plan,” stated Natia, “and it is time to rescue the children.”

  They exited the apartment, and Natia locked the door. They hurried across the city to the reeducation center. Natia slid to one side of the door while Headman banged loudly on it. No one answered the knock, so Headman banged again. Still no one answered. Natia came out of the shadows and unlocked the door with the key she had copied from Captain Beck’s key ring. She hesitantly opened the door and peered inside. Soldiers were all over the floor, sleeping peacefully.

  “You go in and prepare the children for the road,” said Natia. “I will get the wagons to start arriving.”

  Headman disappeared into the cen
ter. He moved to the farthest room where the oldest boys were housed and opened the door. Several of the elven boys looked up as he entered.

  “Who are you?” asked one of the boys.

  “I am an elf who wished I never had to stay in this center when I was a boy,” answered Headman. “Get everyone up. You children are going home.”

  “Home?” frowned one of the boys. “What if we don’t want to return to Elfwoods?”

  “Then you will stay in Giza and become a thief like I did,” answered Headman. “Tell me that you aren’t stupid enough to believe the lies the Federation has been telling you for so long. The Federation will never accept you as equals, despite what they say. They encourage you to abandon our people so that your defections will humiliate and weaken the Dielderal.”

  “Sounds like you are speaking from experience,” taunted one of the boys.

  “I am,” Headman admitted. The sadness in his voice was evident to everyone in the room. “I was one of the stupid ones. I wanted to be a warrior, and we all knew that the Dielderal had no warriors. What I didn’t know until much later is that there is no glory for an elf in being a Federation warrior. They use the elves, and they abuse the elves. When one of the elves dies, they do not honor him, but rather laugh at his demise. Is that really how you want to end your life?”

  The boy’s face turned red, and he silently shook his head.

  “Alright,” Headman continued with an authoritative voice, “this is how it is going to happen tonight. You boys will be in charge of making sure that all of the children are woken and dressed to travel. You are going to sneak out of the city in wagons, and the younger ones will be going first. Anyone who objects to leaving the Federation will be allowed to leave the caravan, but not until it is outside the city. This is important.” The thief paused for effect. “If the Federation is alerted to your escape, they will kill every single one of you. They will not pause to ask if you are desirous of staying here. So if anyone alerts the guards, he will not only be responsible for all of your deaths, but he will die as well. Do all of you understand me?”