The Spark

by David Drake

  The bag weighed five or six pounds, more than I’d expected. I wondered if I was supposed to open the tie closure.

  “This is a thousand Marielles crowns,” Frances said. “Each one weighs slightly more than a Dun Add dragon, though I don’t know how much they’ll be discounted as you move farther away from Marielles.”

  “Ma’am!” I said. “This is way more than I need to borrow. I figure ten—well, maybe twelve—would pay for all the goods I’m buying.”

  “What exactly do you plan to do?” Frances said. “If you don’t mind telling me.”

  “I don’t mind,” I said. Why would I? “Baga’s going to carry me back to the place we left the other boat. I’ll fix it up and Stefan will bring it back. Ah—I’ll be back before the challenge in forty days, don’t worry. Even if there’s a problem with fixing the other boat, Baga will bring me back for that.”

  “Hellea won’t find a champion,” Frances said with contempt. “If she were ten years younger I might worry, but not now. Still, best to have you ready.”

  Her lips pursed. “The node where we left the boat is named Dewbranch, by the way.”

  “It is?” I said. “Dewbranch, then. I didn’t figure it had a name.”

  “Lady Eloise named it,” Frances said. Her voice was dry as dust in summer. “She lived there longer than I imagine anyone else has, so I suppose she has a right.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, I guess to see that Red had backed well away. She took a deep breath and said, “That money isn’t a loan, Pal. It’s payment for what you did for me and for my sister.”

  “Ma’am!” I said. “I didn’t help you for money!”

  “No, you didn’t,” Frances said. “But it’s the only way I have to repay you.”

  I thought for a moment that she was going to say something more. Instead, she turned and walked back toward town. The guard followed her.

  CHAPTER 15

  Pairs and Singletons

  I’d as soon have been someplace else, but in truth it wasn’t hurting me to sit with my back to a tree trunk and my stomach full of good food.

  The big pavilion near the front of the park was where they’d held the wedding. The better sort danced there now to three violins and an oboe; I could hear snatches of the music when the breeze was right.

  Closer to me at the back of the grounds was a stretch of mown grass where common folk—folk like me and my neighbors on Beune—were dancing to a bag-piper. In between was a brick house that Prince Philip called his rural bungalow.

  I’d always thought of bungalows as being little places. This one in the royal park wasn’t little.

  People had come from days away by the Road, not to mention all those from Marielles itself. The town had a big hinterland, maybe as big as the one that fed Dun Add. There was even a boat in the landingplace, besides the two that came from Dewbranch: Baga’s and the one I’d repaired and now owned.

  I’d been surprised at all the foofarah when we got back from Dewbranch just before Hellea’s forty days were up. Prince Philip had spread the word pretty wide, and forty days was enough time for people to make the trip from quite a ways away.

  Frances had laid down the law: there wouldn’t be a wedding until Hellea was either dead or disgraced. She took it for granted that even if Hellea found somebody to stand for her, I’d beat him. I wouldn’t have gone that far, but I had really good equipment and Hellea’s story wasn’t likely to win over anybody in Jon’s Hall of Champions.

  Hellea hadn’t showed, just like Frances figured. I was glad of that.

  I didn’t particularly want to kill anybody. Easton and Camm don’t keep me from going to sleep, but sometimes I think about them in the dark before I get up in the morning.

  I saw Baga and Stefan coming toward me from the tables of food and drink right behind the bungalow. I didn’t recognize the woman with them. She could’ve passed for any of the thirties-ish women I knew on Beune: healthy, stocky but not really fat. She had brown hair, though she might call it chestnut.

  Stefan and the woman stopped twenty feet away while Baga came on the rest of the way. I stood up, sticking my free hand back against the tree trunk when I started to tip sideways; I’d been sitting too long, and the strong wine didn’t help. There were lots of vineyards on Marielles, and Philip hadn’t stinted on wine for his wedding.

  “Lord Pal!” Baga said, loud enough for him to have stayed back with his friends. He looked surprised himself; I could see that he’d gotten deeper into the wine than I had.

  “Sorry, boss,” he said in a normal voice. He burped into his hand, then said, “Look, you’re planning to hire Stefan to run your boat, right? Aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” I said. I didn’t know where this was going, but it was sounding like Stefan was backing out and Baga was doing the talking for him. I wouldn’t have used my weapon on Stefan, but it’d cause me problems that I hadn’t expected.

  “Well, Stefan and me was talking…” Baga said. He burped into his hand again. His face screwed up and he said, “Look, boss, you and me get along okay, don’t we?”

  “We have,” I said. Baga was quiet when he wasn’t running the boat, and silent when he was. He kept out of my way. I don’t need much in the way of company. There hadn’t been any problems with him running the boat that I knew about. I couldn’t judge that, of course, but we’d always gotten where I wanted to go.

  “Well then, why not you hire me on this new boat instead of Stefan, hey?” Baga blurted. “He’ll run my boat on shares, and he’s by way of being my brother-in-law, you see? That’s his sister Maggie there with him.”

  Why was that so hard to get out? Aloud I said, “That’s fine with me if that’s what you want to do, Baga. I still want to leave tomorrow morning, though.”

  “I knew that’s what you’d say!” Baga said. “I’ll tell Stefan and Maggie!”

  He staggered off toward his friends. Stefan was carrying two wine bottles; Baga had handed one of them to the other boatman before trudging the rest of the way over to me.

  We weren’t going to be leaving Marielles first thing in the morning, but I’d never thought that we would. That was okay. And to tell the truth, I was just as glad to have Baga for my boatman. I knew what to expect from him—and getting drunk pretty regularly in places that had something to drink wasn’t the worst fault that a boatman could have.

  I looked up at the tree I stood against. It was shaped a funny way: two good-sized maples were leaning into each other—not braided, but the trunks had grown together about eight feet up from the ground. They branched out in opposite directions.

  I wondered if I ought to go back to the boat where I’d left Buck. He’d be fine, but there was nothing holding me here.

  “Good afternoon, Lord Pal,” said Frances from behind me. “Are you enjoying the party?”

  I turned around so quick that my feet got tangled; I had to touch the trunk again. That made me blush, though I don’t suppose Frances could see it under my tan.

  “It’s nice,” I said. “I’m not a big one for parties, though. And, ah, I’m used to ale.”

  She nodded, though what that was supposed to mean I’m not sure. “The new suit looks very good on you,” she said. “Do the others fit as well?”

  Frances had three outfits waiting for me when I arrived back on Marielles. This one was blue with red lapels; the other two were red with blue, and green with yellow.

  “I suppose they do,” I said, surprised at the question. Frances had been so busy with the wedding business that I hadn’t had a chance to say anything about them. “Would you like me to leave them at the palace before I go off tomorrow? Now that the wedding’s over, I mean.”

  “What on earth would I do with men’s clothing?” Frances said. “I’m not a raving beauty like my sister, but I’m not a man.”

  “No, ma’am,” I said. She was in brown, with a white sash and a white lace collar. It was a nice outfit and it didn’t call attention to her; which, with her looks, was pro
bably what she intended.

  “You’ll be more effective at whatever you do in those clothes,” Frances said. “Do in the wider world, I mean. I suppose you could plow perfectly well in your usual outfit.”

  She looked me straight in the eye and said, “What do you intend to do now, Pal? I trust you realize that you don’t have to go back to Beune?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said. “I figure I’ll go see Guntram at Dun Add like he asked me to. After that I don’t know, but I would like to show him the new boat that I fixed up after he showed me how.”

  “I see,” Frances said. She cleared her throat again and said, “Have you considered returning to Marielles to stay?”

  “Good God!” I said. “Why would I do that? I don’t even know anybody here.”

  “I will be selling up the family properties on Holheim and moving to Marielles,” Frances in a voice as flat as a griddle-cake. “I have no reason to stay on Holheim. Hellea is gone and I don’t precisely doubt Prince Philip’s goodwill, but I think his behavior will be better if he knows that there’s someone watching him.”

  “Ah,” I said, thinking about what that meant.

  Frances gave me a funny smile and said, “Oh, don’t worry. I don’t expect Philip to be a saint; or any other man, if it comes to that. But he will not be unkind to my sister, or he’ll hear about it.”

  I smiled. “I’d guess Marielles is going to have a better government from now on,” I said.

  “That doesn’t change your opinion of settling here, though?” Frances said.

  “Lord, no,” I said. “It’s good for the folks here but…Beune doesn’t have any government, really, and that suits me fine. We’re just a little place, though.”

  “I see,” said Frances. “Well, I’m glad that you feel my presence will benefit Marielles. I’ll get back to my duties as the bride’s sister, I suppose.”

  I was thinking about Dun Add. Aloud I said, “Ma’am? I don’t guess you’ll have any trouble with Philip or anybody, but if you need me just let me know. I’d expect to leave word with Guntram even if I’m not in Dun Add myself.”

  I thought Frances was turning away, but instead she cleared her throat. “Pal?” she said. “Even if you wouldn’t want to stay on Marielles, you’ll always be welcome to visit if you happened to want to. You know that?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said. I didn’t imagine I ever would.

  I don’t guess Frances thought so either. She turned around and walked away, her back very straight.

  I thought more about Dun Add. And I wondered if I’d see Lady May again.

  CHAPTER 16

  Arriving in a Different Dun Add

  I told Baga to leave the boat closed up after we arrived on Dun Add. I spent a while looking about the landingplace through the boat itself.

  I saw the Herald of the Gate waiting pompously for the hatch to open. That made me smile. Judging by what’d happened when I came to Dun Add by the Road, that just meant that other travellers were going to get into the town with less pointless hassle than if the Herald was able to interfere with his clerk.

  There were three boats on the landingplace before we arrived. I recognized one from my first visit. The Leader must have a boat of his own, though it didn’t have to be here on the landingplace—Camm had kept his on a country estate which Hellea had owned.

  Baga said it was tricky to locate a place in the interior of a node when you were coming from the Waste, since you didn’t have the Road for a guide. It could be done, though.

  I came out of my trance and stretched. “Things seem about what they were before, Baga,” I said. “You can open her up and I’ll go look for Guntram.”

  “Are those the clothes you plan to wear, boss?” Baga said. He was standing by the hatch, but he wasn’t touching the lever that opened it.

  “Why shouldn’t I?” I said. I’d worn ordinary clothes during the voyage from Marielles. I looked down at them, made a face, and ducked into my room.

  “You look really nice in the red,” Baga said. “But they’re all nice.”

  I put on the red suit. It was as bad as having Lady Frances along. Though she’d have ordered me which outfit to wear, not made a suggestion.

  I wondered how she was doing. If ever there’d been a woman who should’ve been born in a man’s body, it was her. I’d never heard her complain, though. She just worked around the things that came up.

  “Do you like me now?” I asked Baga. I transferred my shield and weapon into the pockets of this tunic. This hardware was so light that I didn’t need a harness to hold it as I’d had for the pieces I’d converted from other uses.

  “Every inch the lord, boss,” Baga said. He opened the hatch; Buck and I stepped into Dun Add.

  “Welcome, Champion of Beune!” called Guntram, standing beside the Herald. He must’ve arrived after I came out of my trance.

  “Guntram!” I said, surprised in a good way. I clasped arms with him while the Herald pursed his lips and sucked them in again. “I was wondering how I’d find you.”

  “I was observing on the jousting field and saw your boat arrive,” Guntram said. “Though I didn’t know it was yours until I’d gotten closer. I hope you’ll allow me to go over it after we’ve gotten you settled here.”

  “Sure!” I said. “We can do that right now if you want!”

  “No, first we need to take care of formalities, here and at the palace,” Guntram said. He reached down and rubbed Buck’s ears; Buck had recognized a friend and was nuzzling Guntram’s knee.

  The Herald cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to interrupt your lordships,” he said, “but I need to jot a few things down. Did you say ‘Beune,’ sir? I don’t believe I’ve heard of that place before?”

  “That’s of no consequence, fellow,” Guntram said. “Lord Pal is on Dun Add now. He will be entering the Hall of Champions shortly. If you need details, I’m sure that his boatman can satisfy you.”

  I knew there was absolutely no side on Guntram—he’d been right at home with my neighbors on Beune, eating the food they gave us and cleaning his plate like he liked it. Here with this fat fool, though, Guntram was the important Maker and a friend of the Leader. Mom had called that choosing your pattern to fit your cloth.

  “Of course, sir,” the Herald said, writing on his notebook. “Lord Pal of Beune, entering the Aspirants’ Chamber.”

  “Baga, you and Maggie are free to go off when you’ve satisfied this guy,” I called. “I’ll be back by evening, or anyway I’ll send word about where we’re to be.”

  We started up toward the palace by the straight, broad path. “Baga’s my boatman,” I explained to Guntram, not that he’d asked. “He volunteered to be my attendant if I stay in Dun Add. Though, sir? I haven’t decided to try for the Champions again. I’m just thinking about it.”

  Guntram chuckled. “I’d say that on Beune there’d be very little employment for arms of such quality as yours,” he said. “Wouldn’t you?”

  “What I had before was good enough for Beune when I needed anything at all,” I said. “And, sir? I thanked you for the shield when you gave it to me, but I’ve used it now. It’s a wonderful piece of work, very handy.”

  “There are sturdier shields,” Guntram said, “but none that I’ve seen which were as light in use. You’ve given your arms a fair test then, you believe?”

  I thought of Walters. “Yes,” I said. “It was a fair test.”

  I’d asked Lady Frances if she could do something for Walters; she’d had him made doorkeeper at Philip’s bungalow. Even with a peg leg, he could handle any trouble that was likely to happen there.

  “I’ll show you something of the court before you enroll,” Guntram said. “We’ll drop Buck off in the stables and I’ll take you there. And I won’t tell you—”

  He paused till I met his eyes.

  “—that you have a duty to Mankind not to waste your abilities, Pal. Because you already know that.”

  I swallowed. “Yessir,” I said.<
br />
  * * *

  I don’t know what I expected the Leader’s Court to be like. Guntram took us up a wide staircase to the third floor. The stairs weren’t crowded but we met a couple dozen people on them. Some nodded to Guntram or spoke, but others just turned their eyes aside or even squeezed against the opposite railing.

  The attendant at the open door opposite the stairhead bowed to Guntram. We walked in at the top of a double-high room shaped like a half funnel. Curving ranks of seats sloped down to the floor from where we stood. There was room for at least two hundred people to sit there, but only fifty or so were taken. Some were warriors but the rest looked like clerks, a few of them women.

  Jon, the Leader, was seated on a dais facing the ranks of seats. I gasped and stepped back against the wall when I realized who I was looking down at.

  From this far away—and looking down, like we were—I didn’t have a good view of Jon’s face. His gold robe caught the light from the high windows around all four sides of the room; the ceiling must stick up above the roof of the rest of the building around it.

  “On the basis of the petition which has been reviewed by my counselors…” Jon said, speaking to the young man facing him at the foot of the dais. There were four chairs to either side of the dais, five of the total occupied. “I order the following: in forty days time the petitioner and his brother Arne will present themselves before me for adjudication regarding the division of their father’s estate. Both parties may bring additional evidence to place before my counselors.”

  “Arne will never come just because I tell him to!” the man facing him said. He sounded whiny and frustrated.

  I could hear them both just as clear as if I was right across a table from them. I’d never been in such a big room where you could hear so clearly. I wondered if Guntram had found an Ancient machine that made it happen this way.

  “I will discuss the matter with my Champions and see if one volunteers to accompany you back to Austerlitz,” Jon said. “If not, I’ll assign one in a few days. Are there any volunteers in the hall now?”