Menders had spent the first eleven years of his life on the Sea Of Grass, the enormous plain in far eastern Mordania. The area, including the vast property of his father’s estate, Stettan, was inhabited by bands of Thrun, the nomadic tribesmen of the far north and east. Menders frequently fled Stettan for days at a time to escape abuse and “toughening”. He had been accepted and embraced by the local Thrun clans, The Menders and The Tailors. His own mother, who died at his birth, had been half Thrun and of the Menders clan.
When Menders was only five years old, a chance meeting with a young Thrun boy, Tharak Karak, had brought him into the Thrun world. Young Aylam Josirus had been weeping in the shadow of an enormous stone hand, one of The Giants rising from the grassy plain, when Tharak happened upon him.
Tharak immediately appointed himself young Aylam’s protector. He took Aylam home to his parents, who made him welcome. They tended the welts left on his back by a brutal beating. They were intrigued and enchanted by his unusual eyes and presented him to the shaman of their clan, Tharan-Tul, who took one look at Menders and named him Thartan a’a’ Tharak, Magic In The Eyes. Being given a Thrun name made Menders part of the Thrun. Those remarkable people considered his white eyes an asset, one greatly to be desired.
So Mistress Ermina Trottenheim would make no headway in deriding his eyes to him, just as she would make no headway with her claims of pregnancy. If she really was carrying his child, he would cope with it by taking it from her and sending her away with a pension, as would be a father’s right. He would never let anyone as spiteful and unstable as Ermina raise a baby. He was thankful that he’d removed her from direct involvement in Katrin’s life as early as he had.
He got up, disgusted with himself at having continued the affair with her during his illness. It was a weakness that a woman like Ermina lived to exploit. He’d been foolish – very.
Leaving his office, he came face to face with Franz, who was waiting for him in the corridor.
“Troubles, my fine young friend?” Franz asked bluntly.
“Ermina just informed me that she’s pregnant,” Menders answered, just as bluntly.
“The hells she is,” Franz snorted.
“Let’s take this to your office,” Menders replied. They went there and settled into chairs.
“Now, why do you say ‘the hells she is’?” Menders asked, looking closely at his friend.
“My boy, I specialized in women’s care. That’s why I delivered Katrin. Ermina is not pregnant. She’s due to start a monthly any day. After observing her for eighteen months, I’ve noticed a pattern. She starts acting like a lunatic for a week before her monthly, followed by being down in the mouth when it starts.”
Menders’ eyebrows went up. He’d noticed the same behavior since he’d started sleeping with Ermina. He’d dreaded the week when her shrewish nature was intensified a thousandfold, combining with her natural belligerence to make her truly detestable. She would be cruel and scathing to everyone, particularly the two children. Hemmett openly despised and feared her, and Katrin avoided her whenever possible.
“She has no power in the household now that you’ve laid out matters for everyone, so she thinks that she’ll get it by becoming Mistress Menders,” Franz continued. “She had a taste for power playing when she was at The Palace, but it’s gotten worse now that she’s here and thinks she has a chance to get in the driver’s seat. Don’t panic and do something foolish.”
Menders snorted with laughter. He did not panic. He’d already managed to do something foolish, however, by getting involved and staying involved with Ermina.
“Have no fear,” he said sardonically. “Even if she is pregnant and it is my child, I would not marry her. I’d take the child and then be rid of Ermina by one means or another.”
Franz studied him silently for several moments.
“I believe you would,” he finally said.
“Oh, I’d try to pay her off to go to Surelia or such,” Menders said. “I’m not one to kill off a lover for convenience’s sake. However, after speaking to you I’m confident that I will soon have a very good excuse to put her on a train and never see her again.”
“It will be a relief to one and all,” Franz said bluntly. “Bad enough to be isolated out here without the endless quarreling going on.”
“That’s at an end, I assure you,” Menders replied. There had been several vociferous arguments between Ermina and himself that had resounded through the house. The last one had frightened Katrin so badly that she wailed and cried for half an hour. No-one was going to reduce Menders’ little girl to such a state.
“Remind me not to cross you,” Franz said quietly.
“You may cross me at any time. I consider that constructive criticism. It’s being used, deceived and treated as if I’m an idiot that gets my back up,” Menders answered.
***
A week later, Menders used a lockpick to get into Ermina’s room. The glum behavior Franz predicted had begun and Menders was ready for the entire sorry business to come to a head and be over with.
He didn’t have to rummage much. Within seconds he had found a pair of bloodstained bloomers wrapped around two bloody cloths. He looked under the bed to find more cloths soaking in a pot there. He bundled the soiled items under his arm and descended to the ground floor, making his way to Ermina’s office where he unfurled the entire damp mess on her desk.
“Explain,” he snapped, his voice like the edge of a knife.
Panic flared in her eyes. It was swiftly replaced by rage.
“How dare you go in my room without my leave!” she shrieked.
“Explain this right now,” Menders said, keeping his voice low.
“I… it started only this morning, I must have miscarried,” she said faintly, realizing that her rage wasn’t going to make him back down.
“Absurd. If you were miscarrying, you’d have screamed the house down,” Menders countered.
“They aren’t mine,” she said desperately. Menders almost gaped at the bizarre, bold faced lie.
“Get packed,” he ordered. “There’s a train through today, thankfully. I won’t endure your presence in this house any longer. If you aren’t ready to be at the halt by noon, I will take you there without your belongings, because you are getting on that train. If you make a scene, if you start howling or screaming, or doing anything that will upset this household, I will cut your throat and have an end to this charade once and for all.”
She opened her mouth, but then closed it and glared at him.
“I’ll tell the Queen about how you killed Madame Holz,” she hissed.
“I didn’t kill that fool of a woman, she fell down the stairs,” Menders said calmly, watching her reaction. If she really knew, she’d hold fast. He was sure she was bluffing.
She was. Her gaze fell and she started to snivel.
“Crying won’t help either,” Menders said. “You’ve overstayed your welcome here.”
“Don’t you love me?” she asked, looking up with eyes brimming.
“Oh for the gods’ sakes, I never said I did. Just as you don’t love me. You have two hours to get ready to leave. If I were you, I’d do it with some dignity.”
“Where will I go?” Ermina stared at him. He realized that the stupid woman had never even considered the notion that he might actually evict her.
“Go away from here. That’s all that matters to me,” Menders answered brusquely. “A word to the wise, which means it’s wasted on you – if you want to catch and hold a man, deriding, ridiculing and deceiving him isn’t the answer. I’ll be ready at half-past eleven to take you to the halt. I’ll give you your wages when you get on the train.”
“What about a recommendation?” Ermina snapped.
“Do you think I would recommend someone like you to any unsuspecting employer?” Menders asked. “Deceitful, dishonest, hateful to children?”
“Without a recommendation I won’t be able to get work!” Ermina cried.
“My name means enough to me that I would never put it on a bogus recommendation,” Menders said evenly. “Should you write one for yourself in my name, you will be very, very sorry. And I will know about it.” He turned and walked toward the door.
“I’ll tell the Queen that you aren’t raising Katrin properly,” she snarled.
She found his hand gripping the front of her dress and a knife pressed against the skin of her throat. His spectacles were off, his white eyes inches from hers. She didn’t recall actually seeing him move. One moment he was at the door, the next he was holding her fast.
Ermina’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like a fish gulping air, but for once no sound came out.
“If I kill you right now, no-one will know or care,” he whispered. “I’ll just bury you out in the woodlot and say you went off on the train. Do you want that?”
Ermina gaped at him.
“I said, do you want that?” Menders whispered.
She shook her head.
“If you trouble my cousin the Queen, I will find you,” he continued. “I was a famous assassin and I always found the people I needed to find. You’ve run out of options. One more word other than ‘yes’ from you and I will make my life a lot easier and yours a lot shorter.”
He released her and she scurried from the room. He was alone, holding his knife and looking at the bloodied pile of cloth on her desk. He bundled it up, carried it into the kitchen and thrust it into the fire in the iron range, opening draft and damper completely so that it would burn fast.
He turned away to find Eiren standing in the doorway, a wide grin on her face. He smiled in response.
“Life is about to be much more peaceful,” he said.
“She’s really packing, Mister Menders,” Eiren responded.
“Good. How’s Katrin?”
“Tried twice this morning to slide down the stairs on her bottom so she could visit you,” Eiren smiled.
“Intrepid little princess,” Menders smiled back. “Keep her up there for the rest of the morning, would you? I don’t want her to be upset if Ermina decides to make a scene. I’ll take Katrin out this afternoon, once I’ve seen Ermina off.”
Ermina was silent and sullen in her room at the appointed time, her trunk and case packed. Menders hefted the trunk, indicated wordlessly for her to take the case and motioned her ahead of him into the hallway. At the front steps, he heaved the luggage into the phaeton and then handed Ermina up.
“You don’t need to wait with me,” she said abruptly when they reached the halt and Menders hoisted the signal so the train would stop.
“I’m taking no chances of you managing to miss the train and spending one more minute at The Shadow,” he replied just as abruptly. “You’d wander into the woods and then claim that you had lost your memory or been chased by bandits. You’re getting on that train and you’re never coming back here. As far as you’re concerned, you’ve never seen the place. You will not speak to anyone of who lives here or what goes on here. Do you understand?”
Ermina looked ready to argue for a moment, but then nodded and sat on the bench provided for waiting travelers.
When the train pulled up, Menders loaded her luggage. He handed her the purse containing her wages when she was on the platform of the carriage.
“Remember, you’ve never seen this place,” he said quietly.
Ermina curled her lip.
“Freak,” she spat.
Menders started to laugh. Vicious and cruel to the end – and she wondered why he didn’t want her with him.
Ermina started and then scowled, stumbling into the carriage as the train pulled away.
Menders waited until the train went out of sight, to be sure she didn’t get off it somehow. He took what felt like the first deep breath he’d drawn in weeks. It was a beautiful early autumn day.
(16)
Katrin Is Not Safe
Dear Cahren and Olner,
I take time from counting out loud to write to you.
Yes, that is a strange opening but I have been counting everything these days, as Katrin is at that age where she is learning numbers. I count stair risers, cobblestones, cookies and stars in the sky. Fence railings, flowers, pebbles. It interests and delights her, so I don’t mind.
One of our nurserymaids has left The Shadows to marry and after the drama with Mistress Trottenheim, I am not anxious to hire in any servants. The other nurserymaid, Eiren, is working toward going to teacher’s college, though she still cares for Katrin. At this point, I have been the housekeeper for some time. It makes life very busy and is often burdensome but I prefer the extra work to the risk of bringing another problem into this house.
Manners have become an issue here, of late. Since we all work like peasants to keep the place running, we have become very casual at table and eat like peasants as well. This has rubbed off on the two children.
The other day, Katrin climbed out of her high chair and walked along the top of the table to the breadboard, retrieved a slice and returned, carefully avoiding stepping in any dishes. Hilarity ensued but I have begun to watch my own etiquette and notice that everyone else is doing the same, with the exception of Hemmett.
That young man, when asked by me to pass the bread last night, hurled a slice onto my plate with killing accuracy, causing a great spray of gravy. Katrin dressed him down, calling him “bad pig boy”. Hemmett was cowed and has eaten “like a sissy” ever since. Katrin regally approves of this, giving him kindly nods throughout each meal, which he watches for assiduously while I try not to laugh out loud.
Continuing in this lighthearted vein, our dear Cook has tried to set me up with an attractive young widow from the district. You will doubtless be disappointed that I have declined, though the young lady is very attractive, doe-eyed and dark with two charming little children – but I think I have managed to convince Cook that I really am not in a position to marry. It would be vastly unfair to marry and have a wife and children come second to Katrin. I’m in no hurry to have another liaison.
I have to close now, as I need to have a talk with Doctor Franz. My best to both of you, and to the small ones. Write soon.
In friendship,
Menders
Franz was leaning back in his chair, a thick book in his hands. Intent on his reading, he was oblivious to Menders’ approach, and nearly went over backwards when Menders spoke.
“Damn! I’m going to put metal soles on your shoes so I can hear you walking!” he swore, uprighting himself. “Why don’t you sing loudly or something when you’re creeping around so you don’t startle people?”
Menders ignored his scolding, and took the chair opposite.
“I’ve received some information,” Menders said. “There is a serious threat to the Queen from a faction formed around one of the royal cousins. “
Franz looked at him closely. “And this means?”
“It could mean nothing. The Queen and Council have excellent intelligence gathering resources. It’s very likely they know all about it and have had Bartan take steps. If the Queen was overthrown, a new ruling Queen could want Katrin eliminated. At this time, Katrin’s entire protection consists of me, you, Lucen and Eiren. We won’t have Eiren for much longer.”
Franz raised his eyebrows.
“There’s always the plan to leave for Surelia,” he responded. “We could do that if there was danger.”
“Yes, I know. I would take that route if I knew about the danger and couldn’t find a way to avert it. What concerns me is the danger I don’t know about. If someone wanted to remove the present royal line they wouldn’t announce it and blow a fanfare. They’d come suddenly, without warning.”
“How likely would that be?” Franz asked with concern.
“Franz, there is always a danger I don’t know about, be it an armed squad of fifty men sent to kill us all, an assassin in the night or a mad wolf in the forest. I have to assume that danger exists at all times or I’m going to end up failing Katrin. I
have an idea, but I need your support before I can begin to act on it.”
“Tell me what you’re planning,” Franz said after a moment.
“What I intend to do is gather a group of men who will function as a special Guard for Katrin – an unofficial one.”
“It’s illegal to raise a militia in Mordania,” Franz groaned. “If word got back to the Queen, we’d all be dead and Katrin would end up with some guardian who wouldn’t give a damn about her, or worse, back at the Palace at the mercy of those lunatics.”
Menders nodded. “Yes, I know that,” he said quietly.
“Who would make up this unofficial Guard?” Franz asked, a frantic edge to his voice.
“I’ve written to Olner Velten about contacting one-time Special Services officers,” Menders answered.
“Special Services?” Franz interrupted him. “What the hells is Special Services?”
Menders sighed.
“I’m Special Services,” he said levelly and deliberately. “It’s the branch of the military that deals in covert actions. Spies and assassins. Men I consider my brothers and trust with my life.”
Franz shook his head. “Special Services or not, Menders, you’re looking to lose your head. Surely you’ve considered how this might look at Court? You, secreted away in the country with an Heiress to the Throne under your control, raising a small private army to protect her… it would look like you’re planning a coup!”
“I’m not going to march around in a parade announcing what I’m doing,” Menders replied. “The Queen and her Council will not know. I need men who would be loyal to Katrin no matter what happens to the Queen. Men who’ve been drummed out of Special Services are excellent choices because they have no love for the Queen, yet have intense loyalty to Mordania. Many of them are financially desperate, like my friend Ifor Trantz.”
Weaving Man: Book One of The Prophecy Series Page 16
