"Stryke, if I'd had it on me back there she could have got them all. I thought hiding it was the safest."
"And didn't tell me."
"You only would have got… the way you are about it now. You need never have known."
Moving into the house, they heard a commotion. Resistance orcs were hurrying to and fro, and there was a crowd in a side room.
"Oh, no," Coilla groaned.
"What?" Stryke said, alarm rising.
"Better find out." She headed for the crowded room, Stryke right behind her.
Elbowing in, they found Brelan, Chillder and Jup at the heart of it. They were staring at a small strongbox lying on the floor, its lid wrenched open.
"How did you fare?" Jup asked expectantly.
"We didn't," Coilla admitted.
There were groans and words of sympathy from the crowd, which was increasing.
"What's going on here?" Stryke said.
"Oh," Jup replied, "yes, it's strange, and disturbing."
"What happened?"
"It seems somebody broke in and cracked open this strong-box."
"Got in? In this place? With so many around and all the security?"
"There's signs. Stove-in window at the back. Lock broke on this door." He nodded to the entrance. "What we're trying to figure out is who the box belongs to."
"It's mine," Coilla said.
"Don't tell me," Stryke pleaded in an undertone.
Grim faced, she gave him a tiny nod.
"Yours?" Chillder said.
"I had it hidden behind that loose brick over there." Coilla indicated the spot where the brick had been discarded, next to its empty hollow.
"Whoever it was, found it," Brelan said. "But they don't seem to have taken anything else. Was there something valuable in it?"
She paused for a moment, then answered, "No, just some keepsakes. Junk mostly, but I was fond of it."
"Why should anybody steal junk?" Chillder asked, her gaze fixed on Coilla.
"More important," Brelan said, "is how? If somebody can get in here this easily our security needs beefing up. A lot."
"If it was somebody from outside," Stryke offered.
"What?"
"There's another possibility."
Brelan frowned as realisation dawned. "Not that again, Stryke. I've told you the loyalty of our group is — "
"I'm just saying it's possible. So would it hurt to check everybody here?"
" Search them? Even if that wasn't repugnant it can't be done. There's been a steady stream in and out today, and I would have thought a thief wouldn't linger. But search them, for what Coilla's says is junk? Get a grip, Stryke. Making this place secure comes first. So if you don't mind, I'd like to hear about tonight's failure, but — "
"It could have been treachery again," Stryke told him.
Brelan gave him a hard look and said, "You might dry yourselves," as he walked out.
The onlookers were largely silent now, and craned curiously. Stryke felt like he was in a zoo. He gathered Jup and, along with Coilla and Haskeer, went to find a quiet place. When they found it, round a table at the back of a noisy room, with a fire to steam their wet clothes, Stryke broke the news to Jup.
"Damn it, Stryke," the dwarf came back, "that's a blow."
"You must hate my guts, Stryke," Coilla said.
He shook his head. "No. I gave you the responsibility, and you acted as best you could. I'm the greater fool for handing her the stars on a plate."
"Do you think she's got the other one, my one?"
"Amazed if she hasn't."
"Jennesta with all five instrumentalities," Jup muttered. "Doesn't bear thinking on."
"And us stuck here," Haskeer put in.
"It's going to be fun telling the rest of the band," Coilla remarked.
"Oh, no," Haskeer moaned. "Does it mean we're stuck with those two humans?"
Standeven could be seen on the other side of the room, sitting alone and sipping something from a tumbler as more productive work went on around him.
"I'm getting the stars back," Stryke vowed darkly. "They're going to be back in our hands if it kills me."
"A good prospect with Jennesta," Jup reckoned.
"So we're fucked," Haskeer said.
"Oh, I don't know," Jup replied. "Look at it objectively. This is a fair land, nothing like Maras-Dantia. I don't know about Ceragan, but is that any better?"
"It isn't occupied by humans," Coilla informed him.
"That won't last. There's a revolution brewing, and we helped fire it. So there's prospect for fighting, seeing the orcs in these parts right, which is what we set out to do, and a comely home at the end of it. Could be worse."
Coilla smiled, not broadly. "Nice try. Though I wonder how you and Spurral would feel in a world of orcs."
"I'd be honoured."
She raised her cup of wine to toast him for the compliment. "Perhaps you're right and we'll have to make the best of it."
"We'll have the stars," Stryke promised. "I meant it when I said — "
" Sssshhh! " Coilla had her finger to her lips. She nodded towards the door. Chillder was hurrying their way.
"It's here!" she beamed. "Grilan-Zeat. The comet. It's arrived! Come and look!"
They got up and followed her. Everybody else in the room was heading for the doors.
Outside the farmhouse there was a silent, growing crowd of resistance members. All had their heads back, staring at the sky. Stryke and the others followed their gaze. They saw a light in the heavens. It was small, about the size of the smallest coin held out at arm's length, and had a misty, watery aspect. But it gave out light of a kind unlike anything else in the night sky, and it seemed somehow to have a purpose.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" Chillder said, sidling up to them. "Now my mother can issue her call to arms. Then we'll see what the orcs of Acurial are made of."
Stryke feared that might be the case.
"If they got this right," Haskeer announced, "maybe the heroes bit's true, too." He sounded hopeful.
Stryke spotted Wheam in the crowd, looking up enraptured. Dallog was nearby, and most of the recruits from Ceragan. Staring. Transfixed by the wonder and mystery of it. He knew orcs all over Taress, all over the land, would be seeing the same, and he wondered what they'd make of it.
"It'll grow!" Chillder promised. "The nearer it gets, the bigger."
Coilla had drifted apart from the others. She found a stretch of low wall and sat to watch the sky. She felt contrition for her carelessness, but strangely that wasn't the major thing on her mind. As she gazed at the comet and heard the droned conversations from the crowd, she realised how different this land was. Not in big ways, but in small differences that were enough to throw you off. She felt drained, and very tired.
Jup had spotted her sitting alone and, guessing she might need cheer, left Spurral and made for her.
He hauled himself up next to her, his feet not quite scraping the ground, and said, "It's not the end of the world, you know."
"No," Coilla said, "but you can almost see it from here."
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Orcs:Bad blood o-1 Page 29
