Calis hurried across the relatively open expanse and peered into the window. It was shuttered, but through the lattice he saw a figure on a bed. Her hair was pale yellow in the lantern light, but Calis couldn’t make out her features. It was likely to be Abigail, from the description he had heard several times. Margaret he knew by sight, but this girl was unknown to him, having come to Crydee after his most recent visit prior to the raid. A less cautious being might have chanced that it was one of those he sought, but Calis knew the patience of a race that counted lives in centuries.
He left the window and examined the door. It was wood, with a single handle and no apparent lock. He listened for several minutes and heard no sound of movement.
He reached for the handle, but something made him pause. He returned to the window and looked again. He had heard a sound, though he hadn’t been conscious of it. Now he saw the source. Another girl sat on the bed next to the first, and Calis’s eyes widened. She was twin to the first.
Calis stepped away from the shuttered window. He had seen the horrifying vision in the large enclosed yard, and had gleaned that somehow alien creatures were being transformed by arcane, dark powers into copies of the people who had been kidnapped. Obviously it was being done to Abigail.
Then Margaret walked into view. But instantly, senses more acute than any human’s recognized that this was not Duke Martin’s daughter. The movement was wrong, the way she held herself was wrong, and her expression was not human.
At a loss for what to do, Calis waited. That was something that came easily to him.
—
NICHOLAS GOT OUT of bed. It was an hour before sunup, but he couldn’t sleep. He went to the large room where a dozen men were sleeping, six beds against each wall, and picked his way to the pallet where Praji slept. Vaja was lying across the aisle from him. Nicholas shook Praji’s shoulder gently, and the mercenary was instantly awake.
Nicholas motioned for him to follow, and Praji walked after him. He didn’t bother to put on his boots or cloak, as Nicholas was also barefoot and wearing no warm outer garment. In the deserted common room, Nicholas said, “We’re going to have to make some decisions, both of us.”
Praji said, “You’re going to tell me the truth?”
Nicholas said. “It’s a long story. Sit down.”
Praji pulled out a chair while he stretched and yawned. Sitting heavily, he said, “Make it interesting, Captain. I don’t like being awakened prematurely. Most of the time it means someone needs unexpected killing.” His smile was not a pretty sight in the predawn gloom.
Nicholas told him everything, save of the Lifestone and the Oracle of Aal, that stood guard over it deep beneath the city of Sethanon. But he told of his father, and the Kingdom, and the raid on Crydee. When he had finished, dawn had broken, and Keeler had come into the common room, making ready for the day’s business. Hot bread was delivered from the bakery two doors down, and fruit and cheese shortly after. Without interrupting, he brought over a meal for Nicholas and Praji, moving quickly enough to ensure he couldn’t be accused of overhearing their low discussion. Keeler was experienced enough with the way of mercenary companies to know that ignorance often meant staying in business or, more important, alive.
When he was finished, Nicholas said, “I need a dozen men—twenty would be better; they must be trustworthy, and I’ll make it worth their while. They have to be willing to sail out with us and be dropped off up the coast, so they have to be tough enough to make their way back as best they can. Can you do it?”
“Can’s not the question. Will is. How much is worth their while?”
“What would you judge it worthwhile to steal something very precious from the Overlord and his wizard?”
Praji grinned. “For me, it would be a pleasure to do it for its own sake. I still have that bastard’s name on my list. If I can’t kill him personal-like, then I might as well irritate him. But for fellows to go against his soldiers, especially if it’s them Red Slayers, well, that’s real pricy.”
“How pricy?”
“A year’s wages for a caravan guard, I’d think. Say a hundred golden draks—better make it a little more.”
Nicholas considered what that was in raw weight, and how much gold he had taken from Shingazi’s Landing. He said, “If you can vouch for them, I’ll make it two hundred draks a man, with another hundred extra for you and Vaja to make sure they are trustworthy and follow orders. I don’t want any Black Rose agents with us.”
Praji nodded. “I know twice that number of rough fellows from my years on the road. None of them would be likely agents. It may take me all day to track them down, and I’m going to have to lie to those I don’t want coming along.”
Nicholas nodded. “Tell them we’re getting ready to transport a wealthy merchant and his family upriver, ten boats taking household and servants. Tell him the merchant is very fussy and wants your personal guarantee, so you can’t hire anyone you don’t know well.” Then Nicholas said, “How’d you like to be a captain?”
“My own company?” He scratched his chin. “Wouldn’t hurt my standing any.”
“Fine, then tell anyone who asks that the merchant will give you enough to form your own company and you’re taking only men you know well.”
Praji smiled and nodded. “You’re one sneaky bastard, Captain. Few men want to join a company just starting out, unless it’s old friends. Now, where do you want me to muster the boys?”
“Tell them to stay close. Put them in inns nearby, in twos and threes, and have them ready to move as soon as I give the word.”
“Well, I better go wake up Vaja, and let him eat something—he’s like a cranky old woman if he doesn’t break his fast in the morning—makes him difficult to put up with during a siege, let me tell you.”
“Send Tuka to me as well,” said Nicholas.
Praji nodded and left. Others started drifting into the common room as the day broke, and by the time Tuka put in an appearance, sleepily scratching his head, Amos and Harry were eating at the table with Nicholas.
Nicholas said, “I’m going to need your talents today.”
Tuka said, “What must I do, Encosi?”
“How difficult is it to get ten riverboats for a journey northward?”
“Not difficult, Encosi.”
“How long will it take?”
“I can secure such boats for you by noon. Ensuring they are worthy for the journey will take the rest of the day.”
“Do it in half the time. By sundown I want them tied up at the docks, fully provisioned.”
Amos rested his elbow on the table, his chin in his hand. “We’re leaving?”
“Soon,” said Nicholas. “I want you to make a list for Harry and Brisa.” To Harry he said, “Go wake up Brisa. You two go with Tuka. Inspect the boats with him; then go shopping for stores. See that everything you can get is delivered to the docks by afternoon, and have it aboard the boats by sundown. I’ll have some soldiers guarding them all night. I want to be able to move with an hour’s notice.”
Harry nodded. Between his ability to scrounge and haggle, and Brisa’s streetwise sense, they should be able to get what they needed quickly, without calling undue attention to themselves. The City of the Serpent River had enough foreigners with strange accents conducting business that, with a little circumspection, they would pass almost unnoticed.
Nicholas said to Amos, “As soon as Marcus and Calis return, I want you and Marcus to go fishing.”
Amos signed and heaved himself from the table. “I expect you’ll want us to see what the catch is like near those two warships?”
“Exactly. This will all come to nothing if we can’t take one of those two ships and sail to the river mouth to pick up the stores and prisoners from the boats.”
“You’ve got the men?”
“Praji will have another twenty for us by sundown.”
Amos said, “That’s still cutting it thin. I’ll need most of the men from Crydee to take that ship
. I can’t count on hired swords, and few of them may have any experience in boarding a ship.”
Nicholas nodded. “I’ll keep Ghuda, Marcus, and Calis, but you take as many of the others as you need. I’m putting Harry in charge of the river boats.”
Amos glanced around as the room filled with hungry soldiers and sailors. “Well, most of the lads will be glad to be doing something. This waiting around was beginning to get on some of their nerves. No fights yet, but some testy remarks and short tempers.”
“I think they’ll have plenty to keep them busy, very soon,” said Nicholas.
—
MARCUS AND CALIS entered the inn an hour later, and Calis said, “We’ve found them.”
Nicholas motioned for Amos, Ghuda, and the other two to accompany him back to his room and said, “Where are they?”
Just then the door opened, and as Nicholas had his sword half out of its scabbard, a sleepy Nakor entered. “I heard you from the next room.” He yawned, then said, “Where are the girls?”
Calis said, “There is a small apartment in the southeastern corner of the estate, two rooms and a small garden. One of the rooms is empty. Margaret and Abigail are in the other.”
Nicholas said, “Are they all right?”
“It is hard to say. I saw two Abigails.”
“They’re making copies,” said Nicholas. “Why are they not with the others?”
Calis shrugged. Nakor said, “Maybe they need them for different reasons.”
“ ‘Them’ being the girls or the copies?” asked Marcus.
“Either.” Nakor shrugged. “I’m guessing. But they are the only nobles among the prisoners, right?” The others all agreed. “Then perhaps they will be subjected to closer scrutiny?”
Nicholas said, “You’re right. But how did they expect to pass off all these counterfeits?”
Amos said, “They have two copies of Kingdom warships. It’s clear to me that they intended to capture the Royal Eagle at Barran, take her off to somewhere near Freeport, then sink her.”
Marcus said, “Wait. Why not sail her down here? Why go through all the trouble of making a copy?”
Amos said, “Perhaps they didn’t have enough men to sail her back here along with the black ship. They hired a lot of foreigners, including Durbin slavers and Tsurani assassins. They recruited men from Kesh and renegades from Freeport. They may not have had many men to spare for the journey, and they certainly didn’t want witnesses from our part of the world coming back here with them.” He scratched his chin. “It’s been known since last winter that your father intended to establish that garrison at Barran, Marcus. And given the normal patrols I’d established, and the newer Dragon being the new flagship of the fleet, the Eagle was almost certain to be the ship sent to the Far Coast.” He shook his head. “This has been long in planning. Nicholas, if either the Gull or Eagle came sailing into Krondor—with someone claiming to be a common sailor at the helm, claiming all the officers were dead—the people on the ship might convince your father that they had been carried down to Kesh, somehow conspired with the survivors of the raid to escape, or some other nonsense. Especially if they’re all drilled in the same story. Arutha would have no reason not to believe them, and as most of those returning are from the Far Coast, who would recognize their behavior as strange?”
Nicholas said, “But sooner or later someone from Carse or Crydee would come to see Abigail or Margaret.” He didn’t mention Martin by name, for he and Marcus both knew he might be dead.
Ghuda said, “Being hauled off by slavers would change a person, so odd behavior for a while wouldn’t arouse suspicion. I’ve seen people who couldn’t remember their own family after surviving a raid.”
“But only for a while,” Marcus pointed out. Thoughtfully he said, “Sooner or later someone would make a mistake and give away the ruse. Which means that they don’t expect the impersonations to be necessary for more than a few weeks, a few months at most.”
“So now we’re back to why they’re doing this in the first place.” Nicholas made a dismissive motion with his hand. “Well, if they’re undermanned, that explains why they’ve kept this city and region on the edge of a low boil for twenty years.”
Marcus said, “You mean secretly causing trouble between the clans while appearing to be a mediator?”
Nicholas nodded. “Makes sense. If this Overlord has a secret agenda, causing himself trouble such as a betrayed alliance makes sense. He looks as much like a victim of plots as the clans. If all had gone according to plan, he would have killed a lot of young clansmen, some mercenaries, and the Ranjana and her maids. He risked only a few men in battle.” Nicholas shook his head. “And the clans would have found themselves in the position of trying to persuade him they weren’t responsible!”
Amos said, “Of course. If the clans think his plan is to take control of the city and displace them, they’d welcome any setback he suffers. But if they think someone else is trying to cause trouble, they’d try to make peace with him. And all the time he really doesn’t care about consolidating his holdings.” He brightened. “The appearance of might is just as good as real might.”
Nakor said, “There are not many soldiers inside the palace. I saw some in the barracks outside, but inside, there were only some in the great hall, and none anywhere else. There are few living there; not many servants or guards. It is mostly empty. It is like Dahakon’s estate.”
Calis said, “That was my experience. I saw only a few men, none armed, and most of the buildings were deserted.”
Ghuda said, “If I didn’t need to really fight anyone, I could keep things lively around here with as few as a hundred men, especially if I turned them out in different company uniforms from time to time, and had some dressed as Red Slayers.”
Nicholas said, “What are they doing? Why these copies of our people?”
Amos said, “We can speculate later, but what we need to do now is see if we can take one of those ships.”
Nicholas nodded. “Marcus, I know you’re tired, but go with Amos. Take Ghuda with you.”
They left. Nicholas said, “Calis, rest for a while. Then you, Nakor, and I will make a plan to get into the estate and free the prisoners.”
Calis said, “Very well.” He left as well.
Nakor said, “I’ve rested. I’m going shopping.”
“What for?”
“Some things I will need. Dahakon is being kept busy by Pug. But his woman, this Lady Clovis, she will cause trouble for us.”
“Why?” asked Nicholas.
“You know what Praji said about her being a soul drinker?”
Nicholas nodded, his face showing his concern. “Is she?”
Nakor shook his head emphatically. “No, no. That’s a story to scare people.”
Nicholas said, “That’s a relief.”
“She’s something else.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. I have a thought. Can’t be sure until I talk to her.”
“You’re going to talk to her?” Nicholas was astonished.
Nakor grinned. “Maybe. I’d rather avoid that, but you never can tell; I may not have a choice. I do know she’s very dangerous.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s the one who is running things.”
“This raid?”
Nakor shook his head. “I mean everything. She’s the one who controls Dahakon and the Overlord. She’s the true power behind all the strange things in this city. She’s the real danger here. It is likely she is the one in contact with the Pantathians.”
Nicholas said, “Can you face her?”
Nakor laughed. “Facing her is easy. Surviving is hard.”
Nicholas was forced to laugh. “What do you need?”
“Oh, some things. And I’ll need Anthony with me.”
“Ask him. I think he’ll go.”
“Probably. He’s like that,” said Nakor. “I will be back before nightfall.”
He left the room
, and Nicholas sat down to think. He began reviewing the timing of the elements of his plan in his head. The ship would have to be taken and sailed through the outer harbor to the river mouth, where it would meet the boats and load cargo and passengers aboard. The boats would have to be taken from the river docks to a beach near the burned-out farmhouse to pick up the prisoners, then move down the river to meet the ship. The prisoners would have to be freed from the estate and moved to the farm and defended until the boats got there.
He fell back on his bed and threw his arm across his eyes. His left foot began to throb. “This will never work,” he groaned.
—
GHUDA STOOD ON the roof of the hostel, atop an observation platform once used to alert those inside the small complex of approaching trouble. Praji and Nakor climbed up the small ladder from inside the building.
“What are you doing up here?” asked Praji. “Nicholas wants us to make plans.”
Ghuda held up his hand. “In a minute.”
Nakor said, “Oh.”
Ghuda pointed to the sunset. “You once said, ‘There are sunsets above other oceans, Ghuda. Mighty sights and great wonders to behold.’ Remember?”
Nakor grinned. “To get you to come along.”
Ghuda smiled. “I haven’t taken the time to watch one. Thought this might be my last opportunity.”
Praji said, “Grim talk.”
Ghuda shrugged. “I’m not one given to premonitions, or fatal resignation, but in our line of work…”
Praji nodded, saying nothing.
The sun lowered over the city. From their vantage point at the southern end of the bazaar, a vast sea of roofs led off in all directions. The city curved back along the bay on one side, the estuary on the other, so that beyond the buildings to the west they could see the ocean, a thin strip of blue water along the horizon.
The sun sank lower, an orange ball partially masked by the evening haze, moisture coming in from the water. Low clouds presented black faces, with silver, golden, pink, and orange highlights, and the sky was streaked with reds and golds.
The King's Buccaneer Page 48