‘In that case,’ Disgleirio said, ‘isn’t there an argument for not telling Tanalvah herself what we’ve learnt?’
Karr sighed. ‘I’ve wrestled with that one. Do we tell her now of the possibility that her lover’s perished? Or do we hold back until we know for sure? Bearing in mind that if his ship has gone down, there’s likely to be a public announcement of some kind, and we wouldn’t want her finding out that way.’
‘Further investigation seems to be in order, then.’
‘Yes. What I propose is a compromise. Whether we know more or not, I’ll break the news to her this time tomorrow. Meanwhile, we’ll use all the contacts we have. In fact, I intend having a word with Phoenix concerning the project to tap into the matrix. They keep telling us how near a breakthrough they are; perhaps they can throw some light on things.’
‘It seems to me they’re nowhere near being able to intercept messages on the grid. Assuming that really is what it can be used for.’
‘It’s worth a try, Quinn. After all, what have we got to lose?’
‘Exciting, isn’t it?’
‘Not too exciting for you to get some sleep, I hope. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.’
‘Aren’t you just a little bit thrilled at the idea of going somewhere new, Serrah?’
‘I’m getting too old for thrills. No, that’s a lie, isn’t it?’ She grinned. ‘Yes, of course I’m looking forward to seeing the Diamond Isle. Things have been hectic around here but a little dull at the same time. For me, anyway.’
‘And seeing Reeth. That’s something worth being glad about, isn’t it?’
‘That goes without saying, Kutch.’
‘You haven’t told me what’s actually going to happen tomorrow. You know, what we have to do.’
‘There’s nothing particularly complicated about it. The ship that’s taking us is called the Stag. It’s not actually going to be at the docks; it’s anchored offshore. We have to meet with a rowboat crew that’s taking us over. A couple of days after that, we’ll be on the island.’
‘I can’t wait. I’ve never been on a ship before.’
‘Then that’s something else you’ve got to look forward to. But if you don’t get some sleep you won’t be in a fit state to appreciate it. We’ve got a very early start, remember. This safe house isn’t that far from the harbour, but I’m leaving nothing to chance. We’re out of here at dawn.’
‘All right.’
She blew out the candle. Before closing the door, she said, ‘Sleep well, Kutch. From tomorrow, everything’s going to be different.’
28
At dawn, the occupants at upwards of forty addresses across Valdarr had a rude awakening. Houses were surrounded, doors kicked in, suspects dragged away. Not all went meekly. There was resistance, from individuals facing hopeless odds to heavily armed groups determined to die rather than be taken. Many had their wish granted.
Some resorted to arson to protect the Underground’s secrets, and in several cases perished along with the evidence they sought to destroy. A few took their own lives by blade or poison rather than fall into the hands of state torturers. There were instances of hopelessly outnumbered dissidents taking ramp in order to meet the enemy in a drug-induced frenzy.
Not everyone was taken unawares. The well prepared, overly cautious or just plain lucky escaped. So that the news, and a measure of panic, began to spread. Soon, there was disorder on the streets. The Resistance, disarrayed in any event, had no need to stoke the fires of civil disobedience. That was done for them by the law-enforcers. They made occasional mistakes and targeted the wrong premises, subjecting innocent citizens to open brutality. And once the disturbances began to grow, their typically heavy-handed attempts to restore calm only widened the turmoil.
But ill judgement wasn’t restricted to one side. A significant minority in the Resistance ranks, privy to the movement’s plans and being only human, with human fears and frailties, took a decision that was to engender even greater chaos.
‘What’s going on out there?’
‘I can’t see, Kutch.’ Serrah tried leaning even further from the window, then pulled herself back in. ‘It’s no good, I can’t make anything out. But it sounds like something big.’
‘It couldn’t be a war, could it?’
‘I think we would have heard about one coming before now,’ she replied aridly.
‘I only asked because of my vision. There seemed to be some kind of war going on in that.’
She instantly regretted her slightly acerbic tone. ‘No, it’s not a war,’ she repeated more gently. ‘Even if you’ve become a prophet somehow, wars send a long shadow ahead of them. They don’t just happen spontaneously.’ But civil wars can, she thought, and decided not to share that with him. ‘It’s just some kind of trouble on the streets.’
‘What are we going to do?’
‘Good question. What we should be doing is getting to the harbour, of course. Look, we don’t know how widespread this is, or what might have set it off. What I suggest is that we make for the port, and if things look too bad we’ll think again.’
‘All right.’
‘And let’s forget our luggage, shall we? We don’t need to be slowed down, and carrying bags might attract the wrong sort of attention.’
‘I’ve got books in mine. The ones Phoenix gave me to study.’
‘See? There’s a bright side to everything.’ They exchanged smiles. ‘Seriously, leave them. They’ll only hold us back. I can get you more books later. Just cram a few essentials in your pockets for now.’
‘That’s fine by me.’
Serrah hesitated before saying the next thing that came to mind. ‘Kutch, I want you to take this.’ She reached inside her shirt and tugged a small dagger from its sheath.
His eyes were wide. ‘Why?’
‘Just in case.’
‘You’ve never wanted me to carry a weapon before.’
‘We’ve never been in a situation like this before.’
‘I wouldn’t know what to do with it.’
‘You hold it like this.’ She showed him. ‘Nothing fancy; if you need to use it, you stab with it. Straight and hard. Do it just the way you would if you were delivering a punch. All right?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘Here. Take it.’
He gingerly accepted the weapon. ‘Where do I keep it?’
‘In your boot, maybe? No, slip it into your belt. This way.’ She did it for him. ‘Don’t worry, Kutch, I’m sure you won’t have to draw it. It’s just insurance. You can give it back to me when we’re on the ship.’
‘What do you think we’re going to run into out there?’
‘I don’t know. That’s why you’ve got the knife. Now let’s get going, shall we?’
As soon as they stepped onto the street she knew the situation was serious. The atmosphere was grim. There were knots of people hanging about, and it was obvious their mood was unhappy. Stern-faced paladins, militia and army regulars were out in force. Every direction Serrah and Kutch looked they saw columns of black smoke rising into the sky. And in the background there was a constant hum of human noise. Shouts, jeers, marching boots, chanting, the odd scream. It seemed to be emanating from nearer the city centre. Fortunately they weren’t going that way.
‘Shouldn’t we stop to ask somebody what’s happening?’
‘No, Kutch. Just keep your head down and your pace up. We’re honest citizens going about our business.’
They seemed to be the only ones looking as though they were.
When they turned into another street they found the same scenario. Ugly crowds and edgy peace-keepers. Burnt-out houses. A shop that had obviously been looted.
A block later, they found themselves walking towards a place they knew. It was an ordinary enough dwelling, but one they both recognised as being part of the Resistance’s circuit of safe houses. There were a dozen or more militiamen and paladins outside, and a four-man crew was pounding at the door with a b
attering ram.
‘Isn’t that–’ Kutch began.
‘Yes. Keep walking. Don’t look that way.’
She got him around a corner and into a lane that was comparatively quiet. Then she pulled him to the side of the pavement.
‘I think what we just saw proves it,’ she told him. ‘There’s obviously some big clampdown going on, bigger even than the last couple of weeks. They’re targeting the Resistance. And it looks as though people aren’t too keen on it.’
‘What do we do?’
‘I think we should push on to the port.’
‘What about the others? Karr and Quinn, and…oh, Tanalvah and the children!’
‘Listen to me, Kutch. We’ll just have to hope they’ve managed to go to ground. Because there’s nothing we can do to help any of them in a situation like this. I reckon the authorities might even be trying to stamp out the Resistance all together.’
‘They couldn’t do that. Could they?’
‘They’d have their work cut out, admittedly. But they can do a lot of damage in the process, including to innocent people.’
‘We can’t just leave our friends.’
‘Don’t think of it as abandoning them. Chances are they’ll be all right. They’re smart, and they’ve got experience of handling tricky situations.’ Serrah looked at him, and thought of how she hadn’t been able to protect her daughter, or do anything about Kinsel. As long as it was in her power, she’d be damned if she was going to let anything happen to this boy. ‘We have to look after ourselves,’ she told him softly. ‘Come on.’
They resumed their journey.
Five minutes later they came out of a side street and found themselves heading for a roadblock. It was manned by a paladin and an army regular, and they were turning back pedestrians as well as road traffic.
‘Shit,’ Serrah cursed.
The paladin saw them and started to gesture.
‘He wants us to go back,’ Kutch said.
‘We’re not going back.’ She increased the pace.
‘He looks pretty angry, Serrah.’
‘We’re not stopping.’
‘But–’
‘We’re not. Just keep up with me and ignore anything he says. But move aside when we get to him.’
The paladin was shouting now, and waving furiously for them to turn around. They couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying. Then they got into earshot.
‘Are you two morons, or what? I’m ordering you to turn back. This is a restricted area. Now get the hell out of here!’
Serrah’s response was to smile sweetly and keep walking towards him. Kutch did as he was told and started to move away from her slightly.
‘Are you deaf as well as stupid?’ the paladin raged. His hand edged towards his sheathed sword.
Serrah covered the distance between them in three quick strides. Something metallic flashed in her hand. What happened next looked to Kutch like a punch. Then he remembered what Serrah had said about using a knife. He felt sick.
The paladin sank to the ground, a deeper red staining the crimson of his tunic. His eyes were frozen in shock.
‘Come on!’ Serrah snapped.
They ran at the roadblock. The army man, turning from bullying somebody else, saw them coming. Then his eyes flashed to the dying paladin sprawled on the pavement. He whipped out his sword and dashed for Kutch and Serrah.
‘If this one gets near us,’ Serrah instructed, ‘keep away.’
She still held the bloodstained knife. On the move, she swiftly drew back her arm and lobbed it. The soldier ducked and the blade flew harmlessly over his head.
‘Damn it!’ Serrah spat. ‘Be ready to run, Kutch. I won’t let this last long.’
The soldier came at her just as she got her own sword out. She blocked his opening swing, returned one of her own and saw that deflected by the edge of his blade. A brief flurry of swordplay ensued. It ended when she hammered his weapon aside and drilled his chest. The soldier went down like a dropped sack of turnips.
‘Let’s get to that ship!’ she yelled.
They skipped over the fallen man and began jogging.
‘Serrah!’ Kutch cried. ‘We’re being followed!’
She looked back. Two or three uniformed men were running after them. Grabbing Kutch’s hand, she pulled him level and they sprinted.
They were aided by two factors. The streets were teeming and they were far from the only ones running. Uncertain whether they’d shaken off their pursuers, Serrah dragged Kutch into an alley. They bundled down behind a heap of discarded crates, panting heavily.
‘We’ll…stay here…for a bit…then move…on,’ Serrah explained.
They had been crouched there for a couple of minutes when a small child of perhaps five or six years toddled into sight. He saw them, and smiled shyly. Serrah smiled back, and so did Kutch. They began to make tiny shooing gestures, in hope of persuading the child to move away.
Without warning, the child opened his mouth and screamed, ‘They’re here! They’re here!’ He waddled back to the street, waving his arms and pointing to the alley, shouting all the while.
Kutch and Serrah scrambled to their feet and fled.
They went another four blocks before they stopped running.
Near the harbour now, the streets seemed unusually full. But the crowds weren’t like the ones they’d seen earlier, with knots of people looking for trouble. Here, men, women and children were moving with a purpose, and many toted baggage. There was an atmosphere of barely suppressed hysteria.
The destination they shared was the same one Serrah and Kutch were trying to reach.
‘What’s going on?’ Kutch wondered.
Serrah got an inkling of what had happened. ‘We’ve been betrayed,’ she whispered.
At that moment they rounded the corner of a warehouse and looked into the face of chaos.
The paladins had to arrange for an unmarked carriage. It needed a determined escort to get through the chaotic streets. But at last it arrived at clan headquarters and was waved through the gates.
Its sole occupant wore a long coat, buttoned to the throat, with a generous hood that completely hid their features. It could have been a monk from a reclusive order being taken on a pilgrimage.
The visitor, accompanied by two burly, well-armed guards, was taken through a concealed door into a restricted area. They walked endless corridors, negotiated a number of checkpoints, had their credentials looked over by sentries. Eventually they came to a small, windowless room, lit by a single glamour orb. The only pieces of furniture were two plain chairs. Instructing the visitor to be seated, the guards withdrew.
A moment later, Devlor Bastorran entered.
‘It was good of you to come,’ he said.
‘Did I have a choice?’
‘I’m afraid necessity forced my hand on this occasion,’ he explained as he took the other chair. ‘There’s no need to keep that on in here,’ he added. ‘After all, we have no secrets, do we?’
The visitor threw back the hood. ‘Bringing me here was dangerous. Why couldn’t we have met somewhere less obvious?’
‘Have you seen the state of the streets today? Oh, yes, of course you have. Silly of me.’
‘Why am I here? I’ve done what you wanted.’
‘We need to talk.’
‘We’ve talked. Now I want you to do what you promised.’
‘In good time. But before that, we have to talk some more.’
‘And if I refuse?’
‘In that event, my side of the bargain may prove a little more difficult to honour. So let’s be sensible, shall we?’
‘What do you want to know?’ Tanalvah Lahn said.
29
There must have been a thousand people in the road ahead of them.
The side streets and byways of the harbour probably held several hundred more, and they were still coming. Their mood was one of mounting desperation.
Kutch stared incredulously. ‘Who are all th
ese people?’
‘I recognise some of them,’ Serrah said.
‘You do?’
‘Yes. You probably would yourself, given long enough.’
He looked around, baffled. ‘Would I?’
‘Maybe there are criminals here trying to avoid the clampdown, and a few ordinary citizens, fed up with endless oppression. But I reckon the majority are Resistance, or at least sympathisers. I’ve seen familiar faces.’
‘Resistance? Our people?’
She nodded, a finger to her lips. ‘Keep it down. Not every pair of ears is going to be friendly.’
‘I don’t understand,’ he whispered. ‘Where are they going?’
‘Where do you think?’
It slowly dawned on him. ‘They’re not supposed to do that!’
‘No law says they can’t go to the Diamond Isle if they can pay their passage. Not yet, anyway.’
‘Those ships in the harbour; they can’t all be heading there.’
‘No. The crowd’s going to try to make them. They’ll offer money at first, and if there aren’t enough skippers willing to take it, or too few ships to carry everybody, things will turn nasty.’
‘But who’s organising this? Who’s in charge?’
‘You still don’t get it, do you, Kutch? Nobody’s in charge. It’s broken down, gone off half-cocked.’ She saw his bewilderment and took pity on him. ‘The authorities have been cracking down ever harder. Today they’ve come down harder still. There must be people in the Resistance who think the stables are being cleaned out once and for all, that the movement’s about to be crushed. Who knows? Maybe they’re right. But it only took one or two who knew about Karr’s plan to say, “Save yourself. Get to the Diamond Isle. It’s a haven.” The word would have spread, and this is the result.’
He was appalled. ‘Can’t it be stopped?’
‘The genie’s out of the bottle. I’m sure there are Resistance people here who’ve kept their heads and are trying to preach reason. I can’t see them holding back the tide.’
The Righteous Blade Page 27
