Fate

by Mary Corran

  ‘In three nights, in the alley.’ He stepped back, breathing fast. ‘Be there or I inform!’ Before Asher could refuse yet again, he turned the corner and moved rapidly out of sight.

  It was nearly laughable; now he had gone, Asher found it hard to take Stern seriously in the face of events far more pressing. She did her best to dismiss the interview from her mind, but wished she could talk to Mylla, the only other person who knew of her involvement with Stern and his friends. The prospect of displaying yet another unedifying episode in her life to Mallory did not appeal to her pride, nor did she enjoy the sense of vulnerability it suggested. On the face of it her counter-threat should be sufficient to deter Stern from further action, but she was not quite sure of him, and considerably less so of Bull and Club.

  She achieved the remaining short distance to the hostel without further incident, and as she entered the common room was glad, for once, to find it crowded, even though the noise-level was deafening. Every woman who lived in the hostel seemed to be present, all talking at once.

  ‘Asher — here!’ Essa beckoned, and Asher went to join her at a table in the centre of the room.

  ‘What’s all this?’ she asked, speaking loudly to make herself heard.

  ‘There’s been some trouble. I don’t know how it happened, but someone broke into the hostel this afternoon.’ Essa was plainly furious. ‘When Margit came back this evening she found the door unlocked, and the benches, chairs and cushions in here had been thrown all over the room.’

  Asher’s heart began to race. ‘Was anything stolen?’

  Essa shook her head. ‘Not as far as we can ascertain. Sara says she heard someone moving about downstairs, but her arm was hurting, poor thing — the bone seems to be knitting far too slowly — and she thought it was one of us. You were the last to leave, weren’t you? I think you were here this morning?’

  ‘I was, but I locked the door when I left.’

  ‘I’ve asked everyone else to check their rooms, and there’s nothing missing or disturbed. You’d better do the same. I’d have looked myself, but your door was locked.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Asher was already on her feet. ‘I’ll be back in a moment.’

  She took the stairs three at a time, the memory of Stern’s threat all too vivid in her mind; she did not doubt Hare’s ability to unlock the hostel door, given the ease with which he had breached Avorian’s warehouse. Her own door was shut and locked when she tried the handle, but she knew an uneasy moment as she took out her key and turned it, then pushed at the door.

  The chaos that met her gaze was beyond description; everything she possessed seemed to have been taken out, looked over and then discarded on the floor in an untidy heap. The mattress had been taken off the bed and now leaned drunkenly against the frame; someone had slit both mattress and pillow, and feathers floated about the room in the draught as she held the door open. For a moment she could only stare helplessly at the confusion, too appalled to come to any decision as to what she should do first.

  She shut the door and picked up one of her divided skirts from the top of the pile, holding it up in trembling hands; it was intact, and she folded it neatly and put it back in its cupboard, now quite empty. Automatically, she continued the task, gathering the rest of her clothes and shaking them to get rid of feathers and dust; she hefted the mattress back on to the frame, covering it with a blanket to prevent further deluges of feathers. When that was done, she picked up her few remaining belongings, putting them away until the pile was gone and the floor clear. Only then did she contemplate the other damage.

  Knife-marks scarred the floorboards, as if someone had done a thorough search of the room, not caring to conceal his or her efforts. The right-hand corner where Asher had hidden the false travel warrants and her real identity papers had not escaped notice; the loose flooring had been lifted. Asher knelt and put a hand inside her secret cache, and, after a minute, stood up, frozen-faced; everything, including the small store of coins, had gone. Someone had stolen her papers.

  Who?

  She dismissed Hare almost at once; to begin with, Stern had only just made his threat, and there had been no time for him to have carried it out. Second, there was no reason for Stern or his friends to have suspected the existence of forged papers in her room, whereas the person who had searched here must have had some idea for what they were looking. None of the other rooms, from what Essa said, had been disturbed; only hers.

  Could it have been Avorian’s doing? That sounded altogether more plausible, for he — and Lassar — had every reason to be aware of her covert activities. She had felt herself to be under observation in her room on several occasions. Her illicit days of travel with Mallory would have told him either he or she had access to forged papers; in addition, any careful scrutiny of the city records would uncover the fact that Asher was not the person described in her identity papers — that such a person did not exist. But why the unnecessary mess?

  A warning, so I’d know I wasn’t safe, not even here.

  A chill crept down her spine; if it was a warning, she could not ignore it. Even forty women were no defence against the Chief Councillor and the power he wielded in Venture. He had all the resources that wealth and authority could bestow at his command, whereas she was a woman living under a false name, lacking legal or other protection. Could this be his way of telling them to stop looking for Vallis? He held a strong hand, stronger now if he knew her real identity.

  She left the room, not bothering to relock the door; there was nothing left to hide or steal.

  ‘Asher, what’s the matter? What was taken?’ Essa demanded urgently, and Asher realized she must look as shocked as she felt.

  ‘Everything. All our spare money, the travel passes, and everything else.’ Asher fell on to the bench and leaned on the table, burying her face briefly in her hands. ‘My own papers.’

  Margit stared at her blankly. ‘But why? And how did they know where to find them?’

  ‘How should I know?’ Asher shook her head, suddenly very weary. ‘We need to replace everything, as quickly as possible. We might need travel passes at any time.’

  ‘I’ll arrange it,’ Margit offered.

  ‘But Asher, if someone has your papers, they must know who you are,’ Essa said a moment later, plainly very worried. ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘I can’t do anything. If they’re gone, they’re gone.’ She shrugged irritably, remembering no one but herself and Mallory knew her husband was dead, and that she had no more to fear from him. ‘It concerns me more that whoever took those papers must wonder why I had blank travel passes; they might guess what we use them for.’

  ‘This must have something to do with Vallis,’ Margit said, dropping her voice. ‘Though I don’t understand how anyone could know to search only your room, Asher.’

  ‘I don’t like this at all.’ Essa drummed her fingers rhythmically on the table, making Asher grind her teeth. ‘Perhaps we should — ’

  ‘Please. Enough speculation,’ Asher interrupted. For no particular reason, she found her friends getting on her nerves. What was the use in talking about something they could not prove? ‘Let’s concentrate on what we have to do next.’ She related Mylura’s findings, and Essa nodded.

  ‘I don’t entirely understand why you think we may discover something about Vallis from the Chief Councillor’s household, since you refuse to explain your reasons, but it was providential he should have needed a servant at just this time. I’ve known you long enough to trust you.’ She smiled. ‘It can do no harm, in any event.’

  Privately, Asher was doubtful; her sense of disquiet did not diminish, and she wondered if she had been wise to refuse Mallory’s offer of financial support. The meagre sum she earned represented a mere fraction of his wealth, and if she were free from the Treasury she could ignore Stern and other demands on her time and concentrate on the search. But their partnership was still too new and fragile for her willingly to weight the scales in his favour by
relinquishing her independence, and her pride refused to allow her to be a pensioner of any man, even a friend.

  She had begun to question every part of her life. Her work among the women of Venture needed to be done, but not necessarily by herself. There were others equally capable, except in the matter of obtaining funds from the Treasury, but Asher had always known that was a source of limited lifespan. But if she gave up her part among the women, what would she do? What did she want to do with her life? Asher was annoyed with herself for being so discontented with an existence she had once found so fulfilling. She did not want to go back to Harrows, and now it seemed she did not want to stay in Venture either, where she felt constrained by her responsibilities instead of finding satisfaction in her achievements.

  She wondered if Mallory felt the same way about his own shrunken world, where once the whole Dominion had been his territory.

  ‘I have news which may please you,’ Essa announced suddenly, giving Asher an arch look. ‘You’ll be glad to know we may have seen the last of Sim and his friends!’

  Both Margit and Asher turned to her. ‘How?’

  ‘It appears the Council of Twelve has enacted a change in city law — I heard on my way home tonight that it has actually been sealed.’ She paused, continuing triumphantly: ‘The Council is to raise the level of fines to be levied for assaults on working women to the same as those on men!’ Sim and his boys won’t be able to afford to raid us now!’

  ‘Is it true?’ Margit’s eyes shone. ‘How did it happen?’

  ‘I learned of it yesterday, from one of my women who works in Councillor Hamon’s household; she overheard him discussing the subject with his wife, and even she agreed, and she’s the most conservative woman in Venture! Tonight, however, our Chief Councillor added his seal to the statute, so it’s law. What do you think of that?’

  Silence greeted her statement, for it was well known that Hamon, almost as stiff-necked as his wife, was the most reactionary of all the Councillors, abominating change in any form.

  ‘But,’ Asher asked at last, ‘how did it come about? It sounds too good to be true.’

  ‘Your friend Councillor Mallory, my dear. It seems he calculated how much less the administration of the city has cost the Council over the past ten years, since his brother began employing so many of us as clerks, and argued the savings were worth some acknowledgement.’ She laughed breathlessly. ‘I gather he suggested we might demand higher wages unless they did something to show their appreciation, so naturally they all agreed. After all, this costs them nothing. So now we have value in our own right!’

  ‘No more raids!’ Margit looked dazed. ‘Oh, Essa!’

  Asher felt a glow of pleasure, and surprise that Mallory had not mentioned his plans to her. ‘I must thank him — I had no idea he intended this.’

  ‘Indeed you must, from all of us.’ Essa beamed at her. ‘Your friend is a rare man indeed. Just think, he has accomplished more in a few short weeks than we in years!’

  ‘Don’t you resent it? To know how little we’ve achieved?’ For Asher, not liking herself very much, did find herself resenting the ease with which Mallory could accomplish such an alteration in their status; their own efforts seemed petty set beside such a grand gesture.

  ‘At my age, you learn to be grateful for any help.’ Essa gave her a look. ‘Don’t be angry, Asher, or begrudge your Mallory the glory of the moment; after all, if we’d not laid the ground by taking on our share of the work, this wouldn’t have been possible. That it’s done is what matters.’

  ‘I suppose you’re right.’ She forced a smile, then thought how angry Sim and his friends would be, and had to laugh. ‘Now we can tell Sim we’re too expensive for him!’

  Essa’s eyes twinkled. ‘But we always were. And now,’ she added more sharply, ‘if you’ve no more questions, I want to talk to the duty-women about the state of the kitchens. They were left in a disgraceful state this morning!’ She got up, taking Margit with her, and soon a buzz of excited talk filled the room as she passed the good news from table to table.

  One of the youngest women, a girl named Jani, came over carrying a folded piece of paper which she handed to Asher, looking rather harassed.

  ‘I do apologize, Asher. This came for you a little while ago, but I didn’t see you were here.’

  ‘Thanks.’ She took the note, recognizing Mylura’s writing. ‘Who delivered it?’

  ‘A very small boy. I gave him a copper.’

  Asher fished in her pocket and retrieved a coin. ‘Here, thanks.’

  Jani looked relieved as she put the coin carefully away. ‘So long as it’s all right — it’s been a lean few weeks.’

  ‘No, it was good of you.’ She was already unfolding the note, and Jani drifted away.

  ‘What’s that?’ She looked up to find Margit trying to read over her shoulder.

  ‘It’s from Mylla. She wants me to meet her at Carob’s tomorrow night. She says it’s urgent.’

  ‘Shall I go?’ Margit’s brow creased. ‘You’ve done so much already, Ash, and with this theft of your papers ... ’

  ‘No.’ She said it so sharply the older woman looked offended. ‘Truly, Margit. You have to deal with the travel warrants. You’re the one with friends in that section.’

  To her relief, Margit was appeased. ‘Perhaps you’re right, but you will take care? I hate all this — when someone can break into our home, nothing seems safe any more.’

  ‘I know.’ Asher shivered. An awareness crept over her that she had just taken a decision which would have a significant impact on her life, for her mind was suddenly filled with the darting patterns Omond had explained represented future possibilities. That several of the darting lines came to an abrupt end was a warning, but on what choices they depended was impossible to tell. The futility of the gift assailed her, and she was terrified, for there seemed a plethora of choices, any one of which could lead her to disaster; but the next minute she was laughing at herself, for had she not once feared there were no choices at all?

  A woman called to Margit and she moved away, leaving Asher to her own thoughts, but these gave her no comfort. A coming moment of crisis, of choice.

  After a few more ineffectual efforts to identify the source of the warning, Asher gave up; whatever must be would be, and she would have to make her own choices, as she had done all her life. She rejoined Margit and the others, trying to match their pleasure in Essa’s news, but unable to feel more than a momentary delight. The loss of her identity papers made her feel curiously insubstantial, as if they had been more real than she was, and without them that part of her ceased to exist, so she must begin again and create a new Asher from the little that remained.

  Perhaps tomorrow everything will change. What could Mylla have learned in the short space of time since they parted? Again, warning stabbed at her mind, a moment of crisis, of decision; angrily, she wished her gift had remained dormant instead of emerging only to prove so vague and unhelpful. She hesitated, wondering if it might be wise to provide some form of safeguard: she could let Mallory know where she was going, and why.

  It surprised her that so small a decision could effect so powerful a change in her spirits.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mallory watched as the sails of the blue-painted caravel faded further into the distance, moving slowly before the wind; reaching into his pocket, he drew out a silver coin and threw it into the waters of the harbour.

  That should buy him an easterly wind. It was the first time Perron, his younger brother, had sailed in sole charge of the fleet, and Mallory could not suppress a pang of envy; Perron’s horizons were widening as his own were contracting.

  ‘One day,’ Asher murmured behind him. ‘This won’t be forever.’

  ‘Is that a prophecy?’

  The quay was crowded with mothers and wives and children waving farewell to the sailors, but they began to drift away as the third ship moved beyond the protection of the harbour, too far away for clear si
ght or sound. ‘Do you want to stay here or go somewhere warmer?’ Mallory asked.

  ‘I’ve got to go in a minute — I said I’d meet Mylla in the old quarter, but I wanted to tell you where we’d be.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Absorbed in his own reflections, he had not registered Asher’s extreme tension; now, however, he saw, and what he saw alarmed him. ‘Has something happened?’

  ‘No.’ She was nervous, fidgeting with her fingers. ‘I just feel something may go wrong.’ She took a quick look round, then turned back. ‘It’s as if someone’s watching me — no, not like at Kepesake. I mean really watching.’ She shook her head irritably. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s the matter with me.’

  ‘Let me come with you.’

  She gave him an unhappy smile. ‘To Carob’s? You’d ruin my reputation, Mallory. No men allowed in our room.’

  ‘Such prejudice!’ He said it to make her laugh, but she was infecting him with her own nervousness. ‘Is there anything I can do? Keep watch?’

  ‘I wish there were.’ The admission, if anything, increased his anxiety. ‘You said Avorian hasn’t mentioned anything to you, but the hostel theft must have been at his instigation. Nothing else makes sense. And Mylla, too — ’

  ‘Tell her not to go back.’ Mallory had not liked the implications of Asher’s note the previous day. ‘I think you were right, it’s not safe for her. I’ve all the details we need on the property Avorian owns here — and it’s a long list, believe me, although there are some mortgages out. Tell Mylla she’s done well, but we can manage without more risk to her.’

  ‘My feelings. All right, I’ll tell her. If she’ll listen.’

  ‘Let me know as soon as you can whatever news she has. Any hour, Ash.’

  ‘I will.’ She seemed reluctant to go. ‘Mallory, be careful. Something is going to happen soon.’

  ‘To you, or me?’