by Kurtis Smith
The crowd had grown silent while he was talking, but now was murmuring with a new energy. Egan and Davin looked at one another, astonished at the bold move Liam had just made.
“Yes, listen to my husband. Our son is no murderer,” the woman next to Liam added, with a note of desperation.
So that was what she was for, Davin realized. They were playing the loving parents role. Davin admitted it was smart, but could it work? The governor stopped speaking and turned to the disrupters.
“What is this nonsense? This boy confessed to me himself. And he told me he has no parents,” the governor lied. “He is an orphan and has committed an atrocity.” Liam knew he was lying and played on it.
“I was there the night that Gradis was killed,” Liam cried. “I know what happened and my son not there. He has never even left this city. Have mercy, please.”
How Governor responded was irrelevant. What mattered was the crowd’s reaction.
Liam finally reached the stage and stood up by the governor. The governor gave him a nasty look. He snapped at the soldiers around him.
“Seize this man. He is obviously mistaken. Hold him and keep him quiet until after we are done here.” Liam was doing a good job of acting. It seemed people were buying his performance. The ones who had begun to leave were getting back to their seats.
Liam reached out for Teague and embraced him. Teague caught on quickly. He changed his demeanor from shock to a warm embrace. No one seemed to notice the hesitation. The soldiers pulled them apart and held them away from each other. Even the woman on the side of the stage was continuing to act the concerned mother well.
It all would be highly entertaining if it weren’t so serious, Davin thought.
“Good people,” Liam yelled, “don’t let them do this to us!”
“That was it,” Egan said. “Copy me.”
Egan began to jeer loudly as he moved further down into the theater. He drew the attention of people surrounding him and Davin. Many looked as if they wanted him to be quiet. But it didn’t last once they realized what he was doing. A few began to join him in his jeering. Within a minute, the outbursts of disapproval rippled through the crowd and grew so much in volume that the governor could no longer ignore it.
The combination of Liam’s acting and Egan’s arousal of the crowd was working. They were taking the side of the family that was being ripped in two. They jeered the governor and his men. The governor was being rendered powerless. He tried to calm the people down, but they weren’t listening anymore.
The governor stood, sweating violently, and assessed the situation for a moment. He shot glances all around him and saw that there wasn’t a single person there that was on his side. He finally raised his hands to silence the crowd, accepting his defeat. The people had made the call.
“After consideration for what this man here says,” he pointed at Liam,” I have decided to deem his son a free man. He is released into the custody of his parents. They may do with him what they will.” Cheers erupted from the crowd when he finished.
Egan uttered quietly, “Incredible.”
“It worked,” Davin exclaimed. “Alanon isn’t working with the King.”
Egan looked at Davin with uncertainty. “Are you sure you want to stand by that statement? This tells us nothing about that governor’s loyalty.”
“How so?”
“Consider both sides. Even if the governor is standing with O’Hara, he isn’t about to start a mutiny right here in this theater. The powerful do rely on the support of the public to some degree. He wouldn’t risk such open cruelty in front of the masses. They would turn on him and there aren’t enough soldiers here to fight against an entire city. The last thing that O’Hara wants is for his citizens to know he’s lost his mind. And that they can rise against him.”
“But what if Alanon is against O’Hara, wouldn’t he be in favor of an uprising?” Davin asked. “By him not allowing it he has given his answer and remained a loyal servant.”
“Again, he could be,” Egan answered readily, “but we can’t know for sure. He wouldn’t want an uprising to happen here, where it would be easy to blame him for it. He knew the army here could easily end his life, regardless of whether they could handle city’s population. He knew exactly how to play both sides.”
“So we save Teague, but the governor doesn’t reveal enough of himself to get in trouble,” Davin admitted. “Smart man.”
Egan sighed. “You don’t get considered one of the king’s most valued for nothing,”
Davin thought about that as they waited for Liam to get back to them with Radash. So there were ways normal man had power over the elite. He had never really thought about it, but, then again, he was never very politically minded.
He and Egan watched the two of them climb the stairs with the woman falling behind. They didn’t speak to each other on the way up.
When they reached the top Liam introduced the woman. Her name was Page. She was a close friend of his that ran a book shop near his home. She was nice enough and had the look of someone still relatively young in years, but still had experienced lot in her lifetime. After a short conversation containing her invitation for them to visit her shop while they were in town, she left. Davin was sure he would see more of her while during his stay.
Davin looked down at the stage. The ceremony looked like it was over, though the captive’s limbs still looked in order. The governor must have called the whole thing off for the day.
Radash spoke up once Page had gone. “I want to thank you kind sir, for getting me out of there. I was going to be killed for a murder some mad man committed.” Egan and Liam caught each other’s eye. Liam brushed the subject off quickly.
“What’s done is done. I shall expect not to hear about it again. You are safe now. I must press that we leave quickly before we have the chance to be followed. Come, we will talk well into the night when we reach my home. It has been a while since I have had such distinguished guests.”
Chapter 10 An Evening of Disillusionment
It was quite a walk from the theater. The city seemed rather large to Davin’s eyes at first, but he had grossly misjudged its size. Liam told them that the city at least a league from the north gate to the south walls. And the same from the east gate to the sea.
Davin watched as the general public slowly returned to their daily routines after the ceremony. Friends greeted one another, kids went back to playing, and shop owners went back to work, but it felt a little quieter than a large city should. Most were looking pensive or reserved. From all the conversations Davin over heard on their way, no one was talking about the ceremony any longer. Somehow he knew it wasn’t because it wasn’t on their minds, though. It is the sort of event that isn’t easily forgotten.
Davin wondered to himself. Do they fear a backlash against their response at the ceremony, or the mere fact that a ceremony like that had to take place in the at all?
Either question wasn’t pleasant to consider.
And even still, the citizens of the kingdom were naïve to his and Egan’s current situation, but who would make them privy to it. The King wasn’t going to announce that there were Descendants’ in their midst. Egan had said it back in the amphitheater.
As they continued walking, Liam explained that to Davin and Radash that the city was split into districts. Six districts made up the whole and each contained a name related to the fact that Slainte was a port town. He pointed out another of the canals that ferry boats took toward his end the city.
They needed to walk through Lower Seabreeze and Middle Seabreeze before Liam told them they were close to his home.
They wound through streets brimming middle class apartments. They passed two upscale shopping districts, both in which there were all kinds of interesting shops. There was a sweet shop full of various candies that rose up three stories high. Davin made a mental note to return before they left.
At one point they came across a blacksmith stoking the fire he used to forg
e the metal into weapons. Davin was reminded of Roland and a familiar tightness in his chest resurfaced. He found himself staring at the blacksmith and they caught each other’s eye for a moment. The man gave him a nod. Feeling embarrassed at being noticed, he turned away quickly.
After passing a couple of rather large green recreation zones bustling full of families playing games that consisted of running about wildly, and children climbing all over giant tree houses, they reached the north end.
The wealthy homes rose above the rest of the city on a hill side, as if perched on a pedestal to be admired. Everything in this area was for the well-off only. The land space given to these homes made the multistoried apartments in the lower city seem claustrophobic. All of these houses were made of either stone or brick. Wood was only present for the doors and shutters. Wide balconies extended outward from the second stories and all every mansion’s yard was surrounded by sturdy iron gates.
The streets of this area were wide. Thirty men could stand side by side and just reach the other side. This district also had fountains that ran only feet from each other through the middle of every street. The water jumped from one fountain to the next. Planter gardens also spotted the street at regular intervals. All of this added an extra helping of refinement to the place.
Davin and Teague walked along, taking it in.
“My home is down this main street and to the right. We will be quite comfortable there. It is rather large.” He smiled sheepishly as he led them the way he had indicated.
They passed several more many roomed mansions. In each yard there were relics of importance to each owner: statues, bird basins, exotic plants and the like.
At the end of the street they turned right and their eyes fell upon Liam’s home. It sat in a short row of homes just like his and all the others. He hadn’t lied. It held its own in the size department. Its color was that of a blood red, and it was wide like the other homes in the district. The arching windows and the two deep, rounded balconies on the second floor maintained their distance from an excessive display of wealth, despite their grandeur.
Egan grinned slyly at his friend, “How did you come about getting a piece of property like this?”
“Hard work, my friend. I’ve made quite a business of translations lately. Everyone seems to be very obsessed with folklore literature these days. And a lot of it isn’t in the common tongue, as you know. I bought this home just one half year ago with the earnings from those jobs. It is grand, is it not?”
Egan nodded dramatically. “Indeed. Are you still doing historical research and scribing odd jobs then?”
Liam frowned, “Not as much as I would like. I preferred that sort of work, but you know as well as I that I would not afford a home like this on that kind of pay.” He was silent for a moment, then his frown turned into a smile and he drew his arms out wide in a welcoming gesture. “But that is old news. Now, let us go inside and relax, yes?”
Davin listened carefully to their conversation. He didn’t want to miss anything important. There was good chance that he could learn a lot about the world and the past lives of these men if he paid attention. If he missed something there was no guarantee that Egan would inform him later. The last thing he wanted was to be left in the dark again. He wanted to know the kind of people he was associating with, considering he might be tied them for a while.
Liam led them through the front door and into the living room of his home. The living room was the size of the three of four of Davin’s cabins put together. It had a warm, inviting look, the kind that bread contentment and relaxation. The room and its furniture were all darker colors of maroon and brown that danced tranquilly against the fire. Davin felt more at peace already.
“Welcome, my lords, to my humble home. I hope it is adequate. I will show you where you will sleep later. For now, I feel we should eat. I’m certain it has been a long while since you’ve had a good meal. Fear not, you shall eat well tonight. I shall speak with the cook about dinner.”
With a quick turn he stepped out of the room into the kitchen and out of sight. At the mention of food that Davin realized he was famished, and his stomach grumbled uncomfortably.
“What a sight this place is,” Teague commented as they took seats on the furniture in the living room.
“Yes. I have to admit, I never thought he would do this well for himself,” Egan replied, taking in all of the historical artifacts on the walls.
Davin asked the question that had been burning in his since they got here.
“How did you meet him?”
“It is a story we will most likely get to hear tonight, but not right now. I’ll let him tell it. He is a better story teller than I.”
Davin felt content with that answer for now.
Liam returned from the kitchen and let them know that dinner was on the way. He was holding four glasses brimming with frothy pale ale. Davin had only in Roland’s home had any sort of beer before. It was bitter and wonderful at the same time, the kind of brew that tasted expensive.
Egan and Liam chatted lightly before dinner while Davin and Teague sat quietly and listened. The excitement and laughter they shared was a keen insight into how close they actually were. And it brought on a pleasant, light-hearted mood. Davin was fine with simply sitting back and enjoying the atmosphere.
While the other two talked, his eyes drifted around the room. There were all kinds of different unique looking artifacts and knickknacks from all over Talamaraon. And most that looked like they were from the far away places of the world.
Some things resembled old rusted tools, while others were cracked, faded, or broken things like maps and vases.
He must be a collector of antiquities.
Over where they came in, Davin spied a rather cumbersome and bulky looking suit of armor. It looked greatly outdated, as if came an era when the armies of the kingdom wore it as common attire. He had spent several minutes pouring over a map of the kingdom on wall when the cook came in with an announcement.
Finally dinner was served and the three travelers had trouble keeping their excitement contained. On the table were a fat stuffed turkey, a bowl of giant baked potatoes, corn on the cob fresh from the fields outside of town, and a bowl of succulent looking fruit.
“Well, my friend, will this be sufficient for you?” Liam asked, smiling as they sat down at the table.
Egan answered with a mouth full of turkey, “You did not have to go to all this trouble. We are not that deserving.” All three travelers being equally ravenous, they dug into the feast without another word.
Nonsense,” Liam brushed Egan’s comment off. “I will make an effort for a friend I have not seen in many years. You and your colleagues will sleep well tonight, I assure you.” And with that he started on his own meal.
It didn’t take long for the food on the table to become leftover scraps. When dinner was finished the cook cleared the table and brought out some different mead for them all to enjoy. They moved back into the living room and became comfortable.
When they were all settled Davin decided now would be a good time to bring up their past. He asked Liam how he and Egan had met.
Liam cleared his thoughts and looked away, either trying to remember all the details, or unsure what to say. “Egan did not tell you, did he? He has always thought I was the better story teller.” Liam turned to his friend and saw he his eyes had become distant. Davin knew why.
“I suppose there is no better time for me to tell you this disturbing news, Liam,” Egan started. “My memory has been a mess from the moment I left the Secret City until recently. I remember little of the last twenty years. But I do not want to dwell on it right now.”
There was a heavy silence. But in a matter of seconds, Liam’s grimace turned into a warm smile. “And we won’t, my friend, if it troubles you so. I will wish to discuss it at some point, but not tonight. I will tell the story.”
Liam began the telling as if nothing significant had happened a moment ago. “You see,
lad, I was working down at the docks at the time. I was much younger, just trying to get into the business of scribing and translating. He and, what I can only assume was his beautiful wife, came off the ship looking weather worn. She was with child, though I didn’t learn that until I was told because she showed no signs of it yet.”
Davin gaped at Egan.
“What a second,” Davin started, “you never told me you had wife and she was carrying your child.”
Egan shrugged. “I have vague memory of a woman being with Liam and me during our initial studies together, but that is all.”
“Where had they come from?” Davin asked quickly, sneaking a glance at Egan, who was not looking his way.
“Somewhere in the Unknown Lands I can only assume. I am certain you have been told of the power of the Descendants’ city,” he replied. Davin gave several quick, disappointed nods before Liam had fully finished the answer, indicating he knew this.
Liam continued. “I recall this very vividly, mind you, because they were doing something that, looking back, was very foolish. I’d never forget it. They were looking for more of their kin by means of showing Driocht to complete strangers. Naturally, very few people in the modern world know what Driocht orbs truly are. I watched this and wondered what caused them to search so drastically, so I knew I had to do something before they attracted the wrong attention.”
Davin interjected, “How did you know what they were carrying at the time, and that it wasn’t dangerous?”
Liam raised his finger, “I was just getting to that. You see, one of my newest hobbies at the time was Ancient lore. And I was most assuredly one of the few people who knew who they were and what they were carrying.
You might say I was drawn to them. I lead them into my home with open arms, ecstatic to learn more. Egan and I became friends quickly. When he found out all that I knew about their kind, he began helping me with my research. Nataeli, his wife, was always skeptical about my intentions, though I believe she came around in the end.”
Liam bent down and took a big gulp of his mead, quenching his palette. He glanced at Egan as if checking if the details were correct. Egan said nothing.
